Star Wars: The Mando and the Soldier
by Dark Ventruss
Summary: Mandalorian fighter Kyr'am Skirata, and Resistance soldier Gab-Riel Skye attempt to aide the resistance and one of their darkest hours. Main characters are OC. Minor characters are not as much. Will have more violent scenes thus rating.
1. Prolouge: The Base's Worst Shop

"How much are you asking for the Assualt laser cannon?" the gruff Mandalorian accent, a slight mix of Corruscantian and Concord Dawn, asked the old Sullustian mechanic.

"It's not for sale and you know it!" the mechanic yelled back quickly in his native tongue.

"Are you sure you don't want to sell it?" the Mandalorian asked while slightly stroking his pepper colored beard.

"Yes I'm sure I don't want to sell it. Go scavenge somewhere else!" the Sullustian screamed.

"Fine. But next time you need someone who can actually do work on Sienar equipment don't come crying to me!" the man yelled back whilst skulking away mumbling to himself. "Wouldn't know a moisture vaporator from a sensor outpost."

As he walked through the resistance base, that semi-grudgingly accepted him, his black and red Beskar'Gam seemed to clink against itself, almost as though he had grown too small for it. In reality he needed to tighten the straps up, but chose to wear it loosely on purpose when not in danger. From his hip hung an old S-5 heavy blaster pistol which beat against his thigh as he walked. He ran his hands through his pitch black hair, something he was surprised to still have despite his facial hair color, and slowly closed his brown eyes, shielding them slightly from the sun.

The walk from the mechanic's shop to his selected campsite, which he had memorized a few months back, didn't take long, though the sigh that escaped his lips as he sat down said otherwise.

"Hey Ky'Ram." A female voice said from behind him.

"Gab-Reil." Ky'Ram responded almost dryly. "I thought I told you not to be near my ship."

"Yeah, but I'm still wondering how the hell you built this thing." The resistance soldier said as she crawled out from underneath something that should have been an ugly amalgamation of parts.

The woman was of an average build with black hair and amber eyes. She wore the normal clothes of a soldier of the Resistance, a pair of brown pants with green combat boots and a forest green jacket, and strapped across her back was an A295 blaster rifle. A datapad was strapped to her hip, which Ky'Ram assumed was full of blueprints of multitudes of First Order creations.

Its cockpit appeared to be that of an Imperial Era TIE Fighter, which was welded onto a Battle of Yavin era X-Wing body. The Laser cannons standard on a TIE Fighter had been removed and a set of Light Laser Cannons had been welded to the X-Wing body ahead of the S-Foils. Behind the engines a very old astromech was performing repairs on the Hyperdrive. The whole ship had been painted an overtone of scarlet red with highlights of pitch black.

"Told you before, live long enough and anything is possible." Ky'Ram responded gruffly. "Just ask Rino there what he's been through."

"That's the other thing, where did you find a working R1 unit?" Gab asked.

"It was on one of the moons of Malastare if I'm right." Ky'ram answered her, which was followed by a short string of beeps and boops from the droid. "Sorry on Dxun, one of Onderon's moons."

"So I assume Nieb didn't want to sell you anything?" Gab questioned.

"Nope. Would have loved to have gotten my hands on that Assualt Laser Cannon. _The Crow's Caw_ could have really used it." Ky'Ram answered as he pulled out a flask of Correlian ale., taking a swig and then offering to Gab who immediately rejected it.

"He hates selling to you." Gab said chuckling.

"Yeah well I'm done doing free work for the resistance until he starts actually selling again." Ky'Ram told her as he stood up to inspect Rino's work. "Looks good. Three more days and we can leave?"

The droid beeped out a response and Ky'Ram nodded in agreement.

"You honestly understand him?" Gab asked.

"Binary isn't too hard to learn." Ky'Ram stated. "Used to be a little more commonplace actually."

"Strange. Either way though you know you won't just stop helping. If you could you would have a long time ago." Gab-Reil told him smiling. "Also think I can borrow Rino to do some work on the _Alphonse_?"

"It's his choice whether or not to go." Ky'Ram responded, which was quickly followed by a series of happy sounding beeps and the noise of the droid rolling over to the beat up orange and white B-Wing fighter Gab called her own.

Before the soldier could follow after the droid both her and Ky'Ram's comlinks went off with a message asking them to meet with General Leia in the briefing room…


	2. Chapter One: Relics can have Charm

The room had the appearance of overgrown plant life, seen to wrap around grey stone and crawl from the ceiling towards the floor. In its center sat a large hologram projector and on one side of it stood the leader of the resistance, Leia Organa Skywalker Solo.

The years had been kinder to the General than most would suspect. She still carried herself with the same confidence and strength that had gotten her through the Galactic Civil War. Next to her the same golden droid that had brought the Rebellion's finest war heroes still stood, though one arm was a bright red.

As the old mercenary and the young soldier entered the room the droid slightly bowed and then turned towards Leia.

"Ky'ram, Corporal Skye, thank you both for coming." Leia greeted them.

"I learned a long time ago to not refuse the call of royalty." Ky'ram responded while Gab-Riel just nodded next to him. "What seems to be the reason for our summons?"

"With Rey gone to find Luke and Finn in a coma, plus the compounded losses from the assault on Starkiller Base I find myself in need of a set of spies." Leia answered the man. "You two are easily the best fit for such job."

"Excuse me General?" Gab-Riel asked slightly holding an open hand up.

"You have a question, Corporal Skye?" Leia responded nodding at her.

"Why are we the best fit?" the Soldier asked while slowly lowering you hand after being nudged by Ky'ram.

"Simple. Ky'ram is a Mandalorian Mercenary, no one will give him a second look anywhere in the galaxy. And you are one of our least known pilots and fighters. Your main job will be to keep Kyr'am on task during this mission, while his, besides gathering information, is to protect you." Leia told the Soldier.

"I need protection?" Skye asked a bit of an indignant tone leaking into her voice.

"She doesn't mean you can't protect yourself." Ky'ram started as he placed his face in his hand. "She just means I've been out in the galaxy far longer than you have and have more experience in certain areas. We will probably have to go to some unsavory planets and my experience there will be more than beneficial to our survival."

The girl immediately looked to the ground her mouth forming a small "o".

"Ky'ram is correct." Leia corroborated. "We will need you to visit some allied planets as well but your first stop is Nar Shaddaa since one of our contacts need a quick extraction."

"Neither of us have a ship that sits more than one." Ky'ram quickly told the General.

"To that end we will be supplying you with a vessel for this mission." Leia said, her tone implying she did not wish to be interrupted anymore. "I believe you are familiar with the Kom'rk class fighter transport?"

"I am. Thought the last of them were wiped out when the Empire occupied Mandalore." Ky'ram answered.

"A few survived. Due to the actions of one Lando Calrissian we have gained one." Leia explained. "Since it was a Mandlorian ship we believe it will draw the least amount of attention to you two, especially if you can provide the Corporal here with a set of armor to make her appear Mandalorian."

"I will see what I can do. Will need to visit home to find out." Ky'ram informed her.

"Good. Your ship is waiting in the main hangar bay, ready to leave when you are." Leia told them as she began to leave the room.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Gab-Riel said as she left.

"Well let's go take a look at that ship." Ky'ram said as he followed after Leia.

Skye nodded as she sped up a bit to walk beside the man. She turned to him as he unclipped his helmet from his belt and began to place it over his head.

"So how good is this ship were getting?" Skye asked the merc.

"They are one of the glories of old mandalore society. During the clone wars one of our factions used them to great effect to try and gain control of Mandalore from the pacifist government of the time." Ky'ram answered the girl.

"So it's a relic." Was her response.

"Same could be said of me and Rino." Ky'ram chuckled out only getting a scowl in reply. "Let's double time it, I want to be to Nar Shaddaa in two days time."….


	3. Chapter Two: Bar Fights and Beep Boops

Ky'ram sat quietly in the main hold of the ship, his blaster pistol in parts spread out in front of him. As he began to clean each the barrel he heard a series of beeps followed by a frustrated sigh. Looking up from his work he watched as Skye entered the room, the R1 droid following quickly behind her beeping the entire way.

"I've told you before that I do not understand that series of clicks and beeps you use to communicate!" Skye yelled back at the droid.

Ky'ram turned to the droid for a moment and then back to the soldier saying, "He was warning you about the next time you start your ship. He wants you to watch the heat readings. Apparently he thinks gunk building up in the engine housing is causing it to reach high temperatures earlier than it should and that's why you're having speed fluctuations."

"Oh." Skye responded. "Okay yeah I can do that for him next time."

"Remind me to teach you binary when we finish this mission." Ky'ram said as he placed the barrel back down began to reassemble his gun. "Hand me that tibana gas canister there."

The younger pilot turned around grabbed the canister and tossed it to the older man.

"How did you learn it?" Skye asked as she absent mindedly drew her own pistol out and placed it down next to his.

"When I found Rino on Dxun I couldn't speak it. Fortunately, I was separated from the rest of my group after a controlled explosion caused a cave in. The month of hunting and rerouting to get me back to them gave me the time to start learning it enough to converse with him. From there I've just been with him long enough that I've picked up the rest of what I need." The Mandalorian answered as he finished replacing the canister and putting his weapon back together. "Expecting me to clean yours as well?"

"It wouldn't hurt it." Skye said a slight chuckle coloring her voice. "Why did you cause an explosion in a cave?"

"Uh uh uh." Ky'ram responded shaking his head as he began to tear down her blaster. "That's a Mando'a secret."

"Seriously?" Skye asked indignantly, one eyebrow cocked and hand on hip.

"I don't give away the Mandalore's secrets. Give me thirty minutes and I will have this clean, we should also be coming out of hyperspace by then." Ky'ram answered as he nodded towards the cockpit, causing Rino to take off….

The cantina smelled of rotten food and foul body odor. Somewhere the hearty laugh of a Hutt reverberated outwards, breaking through the idle chat of the patrons. At the bar a human male sat making and passing out drinks to the gathered crowd.

In the doorway Ky'ram and Skye stood. Ky'ram had tightened up his armor so it clung to his body, making him appear much more like the mercenary that he was. Skye had been loaned a suit of armor from the Resistance stores that while not true Beskar'gam would mimic it well enough to most passersby.

The two of them quickly chose a booth near the backwall. As they sat down Ky'ram rose a hand signaling one of the servers to come over to their table. As she approached Ky'ram spoke up ordering a Corellian Ale for himself and then deferred to Skye, who ordered one as well.

"How will we-" Skye began to ask as the server walked away, until Ky'ram placed a hand on her shoulder.

"First we won't say anything like that." He responded. "Secondly me and the guy were meeting go a little way back."

"Like Dxun?" Skye questioned eyebrow cocked again.

"Not that far and quit prying." Was all she got in return as their server brought the drinks back.

Skye immediately began to drink hers, though before Ky'ram could lift the glass to his lips a newcomer sat down at their table.

"It's nice to know the nobility still cares for me." The individual, wearing a cloak that covered all of his features, said.

"Well can't forget all the peasants, even the ones who make it hard to keep up with them." Ky'ram laughed out.

"Can't believe she chose you of all people." The man grumbled to himself.

"Would have preferred the wookie?" Ky'ram asked.

"No this is fine. Who's the girl?" the man asked in response.

"My name is Gab-Riel Skye, not girl!" Skye began to say annoyance filling her voice as she started to stand up.

"Calm down Skye. He meant no disrespect by it." Ky'ram said pulling the soldier back down into her seat. He then turned back to the man. "She is an actual member, rank and everything. I'm just her protection."

"Good to know who I should have been talking to all along." The man chuckled turning towards Skye. "Call me Moss, everyone does, real name is too hard to pronounce."

Skye nodded acceptance as Ky'ram laughed into his drink. The soldier scowled towards him then gestured towards Moss to continue speaking.

"To put it simply they're up to something big. A replacement for Starkiller." Moss explained. "The closest I've figured out is that they got ahold of some of the Emperor's old plans for other super weapons. I have a list but I don't know which one they are prioritizing. As well I can't get off planet safely since that Defel over there has been trialing me for a few days. Even changing my appearance hasn't helped."

Ky'ram let out a soft gasp at hearing the last sentence and then focused on the Defel in his H.U.D., "That's surprising given your proclivity for it."

"What do you mean?" Skye asked the Mandalorian.

"Moss here is a Shi'ido. Best species you could ever get for spies." Ky'ram said quietly. "I'm assuming you need us to distract him so you can get to your ship and make it to hyperspace?"

The Shi'ido nodded in response.

"Give Skye a copy of that list and I will handle the distraction." Ky'ram told him as he stood up from the table, half empty glass in hand.

"Where is he-" Skye began to ask before Moss interrupted her.

"Just watch." He said as he sent a copy to the datapad of the now very annoyed girl.

Ky'ram began to saunter over to the bar, a slight stumble to his walk. As he approached where the Defel was seated he seemed to lean a bit too close. Suddenly the Defel stood and somehow spilled his nearly empty glass on the Mandalorian. Taking a step back Ky'ram audibly gasped.

"Hey!" He yelled at the small wolf like creature. "You Shpilled all over the front of my armor! You owe me money for thish!"

"I owe you nothing, Drunkard! I didn't even touch my glass! One of the other drunks here must have spilled it on you!" the Defel screamed back.

"Pay me for my drink and the time itsh going to take to clean my armor or we're going to have troubles." Ky'ram slurred out.

"You couldn't hurt me even if you were sober!" the Defel threatened.

"I warned you." Ky'ram responded his slur quickly forgotten as his fist slammed into the creatures face, knocking him back against the bar.

As he slammed into the neon lit surface, smashing part of the glass and causing the light to go out, the Defel flailed wildly knocking over glasses and tossing food about. His foot went to kick Ky'ram in the gut when an armored fist slammed against the Mandalorian's chest, forcing him to let go of the Defel. Shaking his head Ky'ram looked to the person that punched him and charged. Tackling him into the large crowd, Ky'ram began to punch into the man's face until somone picked him up and kicked him towards his original table.

As he landed Ky'ram smiled to the two he had been speaking with and mouthed the word 'leave'. Standing up Ky'ram laid a quick right hook into someone's gut. He had stopped paying attention to who he was hitting, just making sure to leave a trail for his friends to escape through. As he approached the door he turned back towards the bar and saw the chaos that had ensued was about to be ended as the barkeeper had pulled out a stun rifle that he knew from experience had a spread fire setting. Before the man could fire it Ky'ram slipped out noting his partner was only a few hundred meters ahead of him. Speeding up he quickly caught up to the girl.

"Where did Moss go?" He asked using the comlink built into his helmet.

"Said his ship was in a different direction. Assured me he would get there okay." Skye responded.

"Probably changed his appearance. We don't need to worry about him." Ky'ram confirmed. "You get the list?"

"Yeah, I don't like any of the names on this list." Skye told him as she sent him the file as well.

"Well let's start at the top." Ky'ram chuckled at the soldiers response.

"Shouldn't we report in to the General?" Skye asked.

"You can if you want. I plan on sending a report over the Holonet and then investigating these. But yeah I can drop you off at base and go on my own." Ky'ram said baiting Skye.

"No!" She responded a bit to earnestly. "I mean someone has to watch your back don't they?"

"I suppose someone does." Ky'ram laughed out…


	4. Chapter Three: Thermal Detonators Jokes

The ship dropped out of hyperspace to see a multitude of black holes surrounding the relatively small research and development station. The station looked decrepit and abandoned, and Ky'ram would have said it was if not for the single Resurgent class Star Destroyer on the far side of it. Turning to his co-pilots he sighed.

"What is it now?" Skye asked almost tentatively.

"That destroyer." Ky'ram answered. "It just made spying here so much more difficult than need be."

"Because it means the First Order is here?" Skye responded almost sarcastic.

"Partially. That means we actually have to investigate the area." Ky'ram said as he placed the ship on course with the nearest open docking bay and then began to flick off different ship systems.

"What are you doing?!" Skye screamed as he flipped off the shields, followed quickly by life support.

"We'll only be drifting for a few minutes. There is enough air in here for that." Ky'ram responded calmly as he hit the last power switch. "We won't come up on sensors now. You act like you've only flown pure combat missions."

Skye remained silent as she stared at the approaching space station. Ky'ram continued to stare at him from behind his helmet.

"What?!" She yelled after a few moments. "The General never assigned me missions like this before!"

"Well that seems a bit obvious." Ky'ram chuckled. "Once were inside stay nearby. We should only need to find one good terminal and we will be able to learn everything we need to know. That or grab a high level worker."

"How sure are you they are working on the station and not the destroyer?" Skye asked as the ship glided into the hangar.

Ky'ram turned the sublight engines back on and guided the ship to safe landing area before shutting it down again and lowering the ramp.

"First that destroyer is to heavily armed to be a research ship." He began while walking out of the cockpit. "Secondly if that ship was a research vessel there would be anti-fighter ships out patrolling." With that he grabbed a bandolier of Thermal Detonators from the armory. "Finally if they were using that ship for research it wouldn't be hidden on the far side of the station, it would have a docking tube permanently connected to the station."

Skye followed behind him, listening intently to the explanation but also slightly mocking him silently. Behind her Rino let out a string of beeps that sounded almost like he was laughing. Standing at the ramp Ky'ram turned around and tilted his head.

"Yes let's get going." Skye told him, drawing her blaster in the process…

"So tell me was getting backed into a corner by a large patrol of Stormtroopers in the plan for today?" Skye asked as she fired a blast off glancing past a troopers shoulder.

"Today? No." Ky'ram answered while he lobbed a detonator down the corridor. "I was thinking about doing that at the end of the week. Tomorrow was fight a Rancor day and the day after-"

"Joke later, kill now!" Skye interrupted the Mercenary before he could tell his joke.

"You take the fun out of fighting." Ky'ram told the woman. "At least these guys make up for it."

Skye scowled as yet another trooper ordered them to drop their weapons.

"Down the nearest trash shoot or would you prefer use to mail them General Hux himself? I mean if it's the second then I need an address since I think docking bay thirty-four on Starkiller Base isn't going to receive any packages!" Ky'ram yelled over the sound of a large explosion.

"Quit antagonizing them!" Skye yelled at him as her shot tore through a Stormtrooper's right thigh.

"Quit trying to take my fun away!" Ky'ram yelled back.

"How can you be so nonchalant about this?" Skye asked the man.

"Simple," he began while he fired blasts into the small crowd. "We're not in real trouble-"

His sentence was interrupted by the sound of blasters charging up behind them. Both soldier turned around to see a squad of six troopers, E-11B's leveled at their heads. As they began to stand, with their hands in the air, the group they had been firing on closed in on the other side.

"Put your weapons on the ground and follow us!" A trooper with a shoulder pauldron ordered. "Kylo Ren will be very interested in what Resistance Fighters were doing at The Maw."

"Are you sure he will be?" Ky'ram asked with a grunt. "I think if you bring us to him and he find out you wasted his time then the only thing he'll find interesting is the best way to disembowel you."

"Watch what you say, Resistance Trash." The trooper said as slammed the but of his rifle against Ky'ram's armored gut.

The Mandalorian seemed to double over and when he hit the ground Skye heard her comlink click on in her ear.

"When I give the signal, run for the ship." Was all she heard from the man.

"What is the signal?" Skye asked.

"You'll know." Was his response.

Skye gulped and then felt a sudden pull, the epicenter focused on Ky'ram. Before she could blink a sudden blast, like a focused gust of wind, flew past her and slammed into the troopers around them. Without pause Skye took off past them and ran to the hangar, hoping Ky'ram was right behind her.

As she arrived at the ship and began the process of powering it up and plotting a course she heard a ragged breath come from the landing ramp. Heading towards it she ran into Ky'ram who was making his way towards the cockpit.

"What the hell was that!?" she yelled at him.

"I will explain later." Ky'ram responded a slight twinge of anger in his voice.

"No explain now! The General didn't mention the Resistance having a second Force User!" Skye screamed as the man ignored her and sat in his chair.

"First off I am our second Force User but not how you're thinking I am. That's the General's business to discuss not mine." Ky'ram said while pulling the ship out of the hangar and then silently swearing to himself. "Secondly we can discuss it later! Get to one of the gun stations, we have TIE Fighters coming up behind us!"

Skye paused for a moment not used to the man yelling at her. After a few seconds though she recovered and ran towards one of the gun nests. Sitting down and placing the headset on, she began sighting in the enemy fighters.

"Do we really only have these laser cannons?" She asked.

"Sadly yes." Ky'ram responded as he pulled the ship into a quick aileron roll. "In your next report ask the General to outfit it better."

"Next time I will just bring my own ship!" Skye yelled as her lasers blew one of the fighters to shreds.

"Agreed." Ky'ram chuckled. "I will get some peace and quiet in the cockpit for once then."

"You know you love having my company." Skye teased as she clipped a fighters wing, causing him to careen towards one of the other fighters.

"That's what I have Rino for. Doesn't ask nearly as many questions." Ky'ram teased back as he rose up into a u-turn.

"How long till we can jump?" Skye asked the man, watching a volley of lasers fly past the ship.

"I was supposed to jump to hyperspace? That explains so much. I thought we were going to try to steal the Star Destroyer." Ky'ram spat out as he smiled down at the R1 droid that was inputting coordinates.

"Sarcasm is not currently appreciated!" Skye yelled at him.

"I thought everything I did was appreciated." Ky'ram laughed.

"Don't make me come up there!" Skye said as another TIE fighter exploded into a fireball.

"That would be detrimental to our existence." Ky'ram giggled. "Hold on back there!"

"Why? Are we finally jump-" Skye was asking as the ship lurched forward and she saw the familiar blue tunnel of hyperspace.

"Yes." Was all the response she received before making her way towards the front of the ship…


	5. Chapter Four: Grey is the New White

The blue tunnel of Hyperspace was normally relaxing to Ky'ram. In fact it was one of the reasons he had attached the X-wing body to his TIE fighter cockpit. Usually though it was just him and Rino and the quiet of Hyperspace, unlike how he was now having to sit through a barrage of questions.

"One at a time." Ky'ram said shaking his head and holding a hand up.

Skye scowled and then asked, "Fine. Practicality first, what did you do to the troopers? I can't imagine you let them just live."

"You're correct." Ky'ram answered, a slight darkness taking his voice. "I left the thermal detonator belt set with a short timer. It went off before any of them would have woken up, but before another patrol would have shown up. I'm guessing you would have asked that instead if I hadn't done the massive push."

"Which brings me to question two: How long have you been able to use the Force?" Skye questioned, arms held wide for emphasis.

"That would be thirty-five years." Ky'ram told her.

"Aren't you thirty-five?" Skye threw at him.

"Correct." Ky'ram flatly responded. "All force users are technically able to use the Force their entire lives. It's whether or not they recognize it and can actively tap into it that's different. Luke took eighteen years; Leia took longer than that. I figured it out back during my first few sojourns out of Mandalorian space on the Mandalore's behalf."

"So how powerful are you?" Skye asked, attempting to nonchalantly look away.

"I can't answer that." Ky'ram began, before he was interrupted.

"You can't expect me to believe that's a Mando'a secret!" She yelled at him.

"Because it's not asked the right way." Ky'ram concluded. "Like I was going to say, before someone freaked out, measuring power in the Force doesn't work like how most think it does. Look at Kylo Ren and Rey. By all realities and statistical measurements Kylo should have come out on top in their encounter. He had training, he had years of experience, and he had two powerful masters. But in the end Rey beat him. A scavenger from a desolate forgotten planet who just luckily enough was able to touch the Force, for the first time in her life mind you, took down the most powerful Dark Sider user in nearly three decades."

"So how does it work then?" Skye asked sheepishly, feeling slightly embarrassed from Ky'ram's rapprochement.

"I couldn't really tell you." Ky'ram chuckled. "I've only ever fought one other Force user in a life or death situation and I came out on top. At least in that specific instance I was more powerful than him. Hopefully Rey comes to see the Force in the same way lest she become arrogant from one victory against Ren."

"You're not really helpful, you know that?" Skye said, slight venom to her voice.

"Not really part of my job description." Ky'ram laughed again. "I try to make sure no one knows I'm a user. It's why I didn't offer to train Rey. Besides most the galaxy would be against an order of Force Users like me rising up. My type isn't exactly liked."

"You're not a dark side user are you?" Skye asked backing away slowly.

"No." Ky'ram spat. "I personally don't believe in Light or Dark. It only helps to describe peoples' morals and religious ideologies. I believe the Force is simply another tool or weapon in my arsenal. You respect it like you do your blaster or sword and it will treat you well. Misuse it and act like it's your slave and it will treat you as such. In the terms of the Old Republic I would have been called a Grey Jedi, which honestly isn't the worst thing. Some of the galaxies greatest saviors were Grey Jedi."

"Well at least you don't support anything Kylo Ren does." Skye said, kicking a bit of dust. "Do you have a lightsaber?"

Ky'ram turned to her and noticed the childlike twinkle in her eye before responding, "Yes I do. If you ever see it then that means we are in way too far over our heads. If I ever pull it out for a fight you are to get back to the ship and leave me. At that point any information we have for the Resistance is more important than I am."

"Well that's heart warming." Skye grumbled.

"My job is not to make you feel comfortable, only to keep you safe." Ky'ram told her as Rino began to beep next to him. "Strap in. Were coming out of Hyperspace into the Fondor system."

"Why are we here again? I never got a chance to look over the info we got from that terminal." Skye explained herself as she sat down in what would be the navigators chair.

"According to the data from The Maw, they were in the final stages of building a coaxial super laser. Eight of those made up the Death Star's super laser. Repords indicated it was to be shipped here to be mounted. I want to see what its being mounted on." Ky'ram told her as the Hyperspace tunnel retracted behind them.

The sight in front of the two makeshift scouts made both of them gasp and then hold their breath….


	6. Chapter Five: How Big is too Big?

"What is it?" Skye asked incredulously.

Ky'ram could only shake his head in answer, words not finding their way out of him. In front of the two, still connected to the Fondor ship building station, was a large triangular ship. Almost the length of eleven Imperial class Star Destroyers and a stark pitch black, a contrast to the normal imperial grey. Around it swarms of TIE Fighter squadrons flew, looking like fleas around a bantha.

A few sections of armor plating were still missing from the ship, including a large cylindrical tub running the length of the ship on the top deck. Its front came down to form an almost talon like protrusion. All across its deck turbolaser emplacements bristled and hangar bays laid open. Barely noticeable at their distance workers could be seen as specks of dust moving across the hull welding new durasteel armored plates onto the massive ship.

It was clear to both of them that if this ship were to ever be finished it would decimate the entirety of the currently small resistance fleet. Just looking at it Ky'ram almost wished it had been another Death Star, or equivalent sized, super weapon.

"We have to destroy it." Was all he said causing a stare from his co-pilot.

"We?!" Skye almost grabbed the man and shook him in frustration. "We should be contacting the Resistance! We should be ordering a massive attack! We should not be attacking this thing by ourselves with no backup! Us two have no chance against that thing! You're an old veteran force user who barely uses his full power and I'm just a low ranking resistance pilot! We got this mission because we were the best fit but also because we'd be the least missed if anything happened!"

The entirety of the cockpit grew cold as Ky'ram's face grew angrier by the second. With each passing sentence his fist clenched tighter and a small pressure built up around him. The silence that permeated the small room after Skye finished seemed to last for minutes as opposed to the few seconds. Before turning to her and speaking a wave of calm seemed to wash over the old soldier.

"We will send off a message asking for backup of some type, but I don't expect them to get here in time." Ky'ram began to explain. "The nearest base is still three day's travel from here. It took us four days to get here from The Maw, and you can bet your ass that after our little trip there they will speed things up to get this beast on track."

Skye sat down almost devoid of energy. She had been expecting the man to blow up in her face. The fact that he hadn't unsettled her slightly.

"Even if they get here in the time the Resistance fleet is so small that it would barely make a difference here. They don't have more than three capital ships to call their own." Ky'ram continued as he placed a message on a datachip and gave it to Rino. "You're welcome to stay on the ship with Rino and return to the main base, but first you have to get me to a docking bay. Someone has to destroy this thing and we're here."

The man had a slight sadness to his voice; a style of talking that made it sound like he didn't expect to go home from this job. He had started to leave the cockpit and gather supplies. Skye followed after him, intent on convincing him this was the wrong way to handle it.

"Why not come with us and then return when we have the fleet?" Skye asked him as the man grabbed one of the many long rifles from the armory.

"Do you think Luke wanted to run away when he first saw the Death Star?" Ky'ram asked in return, seemingly avoiding the question.

"That's a totally different situation!" Skye yelled at him. "If he had run away the Empire would still be ruling the galaxy! And he had a mentor who wasn't going to just let him run back home scared!"

"This is the exact same thing." Ky'ram said matter of factly, placing a set of baradium charges in his bag. "If we run away now then in thirty years the First Order may rule the galaxy. I'm not willing to run that risk. Rarely do we get to choose when to perform greatness, rather its forced upon us."

Skye stared at the man for a few moments before grabbing a bandolier made of a mixture of explosives. She then quickly grabbed one of the rifles as well.

"Changed your mind?" Ky'ram chuckled.

"The General would never trust me if I didn't bring the second oldest Force user back." Skye teased. "Besides someone has to fly home whatever piece of junk you pick out of their hangar home."

"Listen here girlie," Ky'ram teased back. "If anyone here can fly junk it's definitely me."

Skye scowled at the man and let out a light growl.

"If it's any consolation I don't think I'd want any other Resistance Pilot by my side." Ky'ram said a rare moment of true emotion escaping him. "Unless Dameron is available? Do you think they would send him to take your place if I asked?"

"Just had to ruin the moment didn't you." Skye hissed as she stalked off towards the cockpit to find a safe approach.

"Oh come on!" Ky'ram yelled after her laughing. "You'd think the same thing if Rey had a been a choice to go with you!"

"Ignoring you!" was all the answer he got…

"You're certain that placing the charges here will destroy this whole thing?" Skye asked as she primed one of the baradium charges the two had brought.

"It better." Ky'ram grunted while setting a timer.

"What do you mean?" Skye questioned, pausing her work to stare at the man.

"Relax, I'm joking." Ky'ram told her. "See all these oxygen tanks, and notice that across the hall is the munitions storage?"

Skye nodded as she twisted another set of wires into the contraption they had been building.

"The oxygen tanks will provide some extra fuel giving us a much bigger boom." Ky'ram began to explain. "If the munitions room is next door then a little down the hall should be the true armory. Between the missiles stored in the munitions room and the thermal detonators stored in the armory the ship will either be destroyed or damaged enough that the Resistance fleet will be able to make a real strike against it."

Sighing Ky'ram stood up and looked over the work. All ten of the baradium charges he had brought were wired together to a ten-minute timer, with a backup tampering detector. If anyone tried to deactivate them after the timer started they would need real training to not set it off prematurely. Looking over at Skye's feet he saw her bandolier of explosives and picked it up, placing it over his shoulder.

"Let's get moving." Ky'ram said as he checked the hallway before ducking out the door. "Remember to meet me at the bottom of the ship by the tractor beam docking bays with a ship with a hyperdrive."

"Trust me I know." Skye grumbled. "You won't stop talking about it."

"Making sure." Ky'ram said resisting the urge to ruffle her hair. "Get going I've got my own secondary objective to finish."

Skye nodded as she took off down the opposite side of the hallway. Ky'ram shook his head for a moment and then took off at a jog towards the turbolift nearest what would be the bridge. Finding the set of dual tubes, he called both.

As the first one arrived he finished setting a few of the charges on the bandolier. The door to the tube opened and he tossed the belt of volatile devices in before reaching out with the Force and directing it to go to the command deck. As it rocketed upwards the second turbolift arrived, two storm troopers inside.

The door opened and two blaster shots rang out, followed quickly by two thuds. Ky'ram stepped into the lift and pressed the button for the lowest deck. Right as his lift arrived at the hangar bay where he was to wait for Skye an explosion went off a few hundred decks above him. His only regret was that he didn't get to see it himself.

Stepping out of the lift and into the hangar a quasi-familiar snap hiss caught his attention. Looking out across the bay he saw a man in full black royal guardsmen armor, minus the black robe. In his hands was a saber staff, its red blade easily standing out against everything but his red visor.

"Nice to see the First Order steals all their ideas from the Empire and not just the stupid ones." Ky'ram laughed as he called his saber to him.

The hilt was ornately carved from one of the claws that formed the pincer of an Acklay. Its natural shape gave the hilt a slight curve though some metal had been added to give it more length, almost making it large enough to be considered a saber club from the hilt alone. Engraved on the hilt were the words 'shereshoy', or a uniquely Mandalorian word meaning 'a lust for life and much more', 'ret'lini', meaning 'just in case', and finally Resol'nare, meaning 'The Six Mando'a Tenets'.

With a light hiss Ky'ram's orange blade appeared out of the hilt, reaching a length most would call a claymore. At the sight of this guard took a momentary step back before charging forward at the Mandalorian. As he closed the distance he brought his staff up over his head in a chop which was easily caught by Ky'ram's blade. The Merc took a moment to notice that the man was easily outside of the reach of his own blade and sighed at the thought of having to play so defensively.

"I'm just going to assume that my luck isn't good enough to let that staff pole not be made of Cortosis or Beskar?" Ky'ram lamented almost to himself as he disengaged and made a large sweeping attack from his left.

The swing was caught by the pole of the staff which the man now held in a wide angled grip. Pushing against Ky'ram's blade the man knocked the orange plasma away from him and then made a stab at his opponent's gut. Ky'ram easily knocked the jab away turning back just in time to dodge a boot flying at his armored face.

As he stood up Ky'ram swung diagonally up, trying to cut the man in two, only to watch in surprise as the black armored guard made a large leap backwards. Groaning again Ky'ram could only think how lucky he would be if the explosion would go off and take them both out.

"Of course they wouldn't just revive the Shadow Guards! They would find Force users to place in that division as well." Ky'ram yelled out as he used the force to propel himself at the man.

As he landed Ky'ram flowed into an overhead chop, which the guard caught with his staff pole. As he plotted out his next move the guard let one hand off his staff and aimed it towards Ky'ram. The Mandalorian, feeling a slight ionization of the atmosphere for less than a moment, disengaged his saber and brought it up to block a second before a stream of lightning was let loose at him. His blade caught the attack and Ky'ram let a hand dangle down towards his blaster.

As he unsapped the holster the lightning suddenly stopped and his pistol flew into the hand of the guard. Frowning inside his helmet for a moment Ky'ram reached out in the force and turned the power of the weapon up before crushing the barrel slightly and pulling the trigger. Not even a second later the weapon exploded in the guard's hand. Ky'ram ducked down under the blast and barely caught sight of a black armored charred hand go flying past his vision.

Standing up he saw the guard kneeling down, his staff a few feet away one hand still gripping it tightly. Ky'ram slowly approached the man who he felt reach into the Force to try to defend himself. Reaching into it as well he knocked the man's arm to the side and effectively broke his concentration. His blade seemed to dip for a moment, as the sound of the hangars floor opening drowned out the noise of his blade cleaving through the guard's neck.

Turning to where the floor was retracting he saw a small First Order shuttle, with its landing ramp descended, rising up. Feeling no hostile intent he ran towards the ramp and climbed aboard. Entering the cockpit he found the young female Resistance Pilot he had come with flick switches and lowering them back out of the hangar. They quickly left the large destroyer behind, with no one giving them a second look, as Skye transmitted multiple codes from the ships databanks to the many defense ships stationed around the dockyards.

As she finished keying in the hyperspace coordinates to a midway point between Fondor and the Resistance base a large fireball bloomed into view aboard the behemoth of a ship. While the ship did not crack into multiple sections many armor plates were thrown off and a large portion caught on fire, though this all quickly disappeared as the hyperspace tunnel settled around the shuttle…


	7. Chapter Six: Recounting and Replanning

The trip back to base had been the quietest the two had ever been. Ky'ram had spent the majority of the time sleeping, or trying to. Skye hadn't even bothered to ask him any questions knowing now the man would answer them when the time came, if it ever did. As soon as the Hyperspace tunnel retreated Ky'ram appeared in the cockpit to ensure they made it to ground safely, though he had no doubt in Skye's skills as a pilot.

The hangar approached quickly and as soon as the landing ramp was down Ky'ram was off the ship, helmet reclipped to his belt, and looking for the Kom'rk class fighter he had last seen Rino on. The Mandalorian was breaking into a brisk stride when a series of beeps caught his attention. Turning round he saw the small grey and red astromech standing next to General Leia.

"Ma'am." Ky'ram said with a slight bow. "It's good to see you again."

"You as well Ky'ram." Leia responded a slight chuckleto her voice from seeing the Mercenary so flustered. "You should have returned as soon as you were done on Nar Shaddaa."

"Extenuating circumstances." Ky'ram told her his voice dropping into the clipped speech of a trained soldier. "Upon hearing of what Agent Moss had discovered I decided that it was prudent to the mission to look into his information. That being said I have things to discuss with you in debriefing."

"I do as well." Skye said walking up to the two.

"Follow me then." Leia said as she left the hangar and led them to the room all this trouble had started in.

Arriving she turned to the two of them and signaled for one of them to begin speaking.

"Agent Moss told us that the First Order was working on a new weapon to replace Starkiller Base. He wasn't sure which project it was from the list of eight that he held. After retrieving a copy of his files we made our way to The Maw, an old Imperial research station as you'll recall." Ky'ram began the report as Rino projected holo images from the projector.

"Upon arrival at The Maw we discovered a Resurgent class star destroyer on the far side of the decrepit station." Skye picked up where Ky'ram had left off. "Sneaking through the base we slowly made out way to one of the more centralized consoles and began to download its data onto a chip to bring back for the technicians to look over and decide priority. This is where things began to go awry."

"Are you sure it was there and not at the bar fight?" Ky'ram chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure the fight with a small platoon of storm troopers is more off mission then a bar fight. Especially when you consider we were trying to be stealthy." Skye fired back.

"Yeah but don't forget that bar fight included a First Order spy, and I had to use the Force to even get him to spill his ale on me." Ky'ram retorted, sticking his tongue out a gesture making him seem much more immature than Skye thought him to be.

"I had wondered about that but Moss-" Skye began when the sound of Leia clearing her throat caught both of them.

"Please go ahead and have your riveting conversation about this bar fight right now instead of giving me the report on what caused you two to go off on an unsanctioned mission." Leia said anger and sarcasm mixing into a venomous hiss.

"Sorry General." Skye said while Ky'ram giggled to himself. "As I was saying, we downloaded a substantial portion of the data when a patrol squad located us. Ky'ram, in his infinite wisdom, opened fire before they even finished the drop your weapons spiel. He then led me down a collection of corridors leading back to the hangar until we got trapped at a hallway junction fighting to stay alive."

Ky'ram scowled at the girl as he continued his part of the report stating, "As the troopers surrounded us I let out a blast of force energy knocking them unconscious, thus allowing Skye time to get to the ship. Leaving behind a set of five thermal detonators I followed after her. Starting the ship I refocused her on fighting the First Order TIE Fighters giving chase instead of asking me questions."

"After a short fight we jumped to Hyperspace, the Fondor shipyards as our destination." Skye said a slight growl behind her voice. "Arriving we found the ship that the weapons research at The Maw had been developed for. It is massive. I imagine that it could function as a fleet by itself if finished."

"I agree with Corporal Skye." Ky'ram told Leia, his face now serious again. "We decided our best option was to send Rino back to base to deliver all the data we had, and then to send off a message to the nearest resistance base. After preparing both of these we brought all the explosives we had left on the ship with us on to the monstrosity. Setting the baradium charges in their storage area we wired them to a ten-minute timer and then I sent Skye to find a ship for us to escape in while I took the final explosives with me as a distraction in the form of an explosion on their bridge."

"I made it to the hangar with relative ease and found one of their small shuttles waiting for me. Killing its pilot and the engineer that was running a systems check I powered the vessel on and made my way for mine and Ky'ram's agreed rendezvous point." Skye explained her side of the events.

"After sending off my gift for the commander of the ship I made my way down to the lower hangar bays, where captured ships would be docked." Ky'ram began to tell the group, while reaching into one of his larger pockets where his lightsaber was stored. "What I found there was slightly disturbing. The First Order appears to have revived the Shadow Guard. To make the matter worse though they are using Force sensitives to fill its numbers. I beat the man at the cost of my blaster pistol. We managed to get off ship and jumped to hyperspace as the bomb went off. The ship wasn't destroyed but its crippled."

Leia seemed to take a few minutes to digest all this information. Multiple times she began to pace. Finally, she turned back to the two.

"How long do we have to take care of this?" She asked them.

"One month at most." Ky'ram answered faster than she expected. "They know that we know about it now. They will step up production. And I haven't mentioned the worst part."

"Which would be what?" Leia asked, angry that he had left out information.

"The Maw was developing a coaxial super laser." Ky'ram said letting it hang in the air.

"You're leading this assault." Leia told him as she began to send out orders from her datapad. "Get your ship ready now. You leave in thirty. Skye is your wingman."

"With all due respect General, I have no rank. Your people won't follow my orders." Ky'ram acquiesced hoping she would move on from it.

"Then I officially commission you as a Commander in the Resistance. Problem solved." Leia stated as she continued issuing orders.

"Thank you ma'am but I still don't think I should be the one to lead this charge." Ky'ram held his ground.

"Then who?" Leia asked anger seeping out. "The assault it to be led from this base and Dameron won't get to the battle until it has already started."

"Skye." Was the answer neither of the other two had been expecting from the man.

"You think she's ready?" Leia questioned.

"I'm standing right here!" Skye yelled out a bit louder than she had planned to.

Ky'ram turned to her a slight smile on his face. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder for a moment.

"There is no one else I would trust more with this mission." Ky'ram told Leia. "Give her the rank and the mission. I will be her Wingman."

"Fine." Leia accepted. "Corporal Skye you are hereby promoted to Commander. You first mission is to lead the assault on the First Orders Eclipse Project. Your Wingman is Commander Ky'ram, you're keeping that rank, and his co-pilot R1-N0. Do you accept?"

"Yes Ma'am." Skye answered. "Thank you Ma'am."

"Don't thank me yet. It's not going to be easy." Leia said as she sent another set of orders out. "I'm placing the entirety of the Resistance fleet under your command. Go now."

Both Ky'ram and Skye saluted and then made their way towards where they had left their ships. Skye turned to the man as she climbed the ladder to her cockpit.

"Why did you insist on me doing this?" Skye asked before climbing in.

"Simple." Ky'ram responded while climbing into his own ship and ensuring Rino was secured. "I've got a bad feeling about this."…..


	8. Chapter Seven: Fondor, For Fond Friends

Comms black outs were standard protocol during large scale movements. There was no reason to prematurely alert the enemy to where an attack was headed, no matter how obvious it may seem. Ky'ram personally hated comm silence. Part of what made a fight entertaining for him was the verbal spar it involved. With the comms out all he could do was stare at the vastness of hyperspace.

Across his screen a message quickly read out causing him to chuckle quietly before responding, "No Rino we aren't going to just jump away once the battle starts."

Another message scrolled across. It was immediately followed by another message and then a third.

"Slow down." Ky'ram told the droid. "We are going to help all that we can. We didn't assist in the battle for Starkiller Base so we owe them one. Even if it costs us everything."

No response came back to him as the sensors blared out the alert warning him of real space reversion being imminent. Bracing himself, his ship exited the blue swirling tunnel and ahead of him he spotted the Eclipse Project and its multitudes of fighter squadrons. His sensors alerted him to the presence of three MC-80 Star Cruisers and the B-wing much closer than any other Starfighter in the formation was.

"All fighters are to provide a distraction and a support so that the cruisers can get in close enough to start damaging the Eclipse. Bombers your job is to damage as many key systems as you can get to. If things look to hot back off until the fighters can make it clear again. Cruisers hold back until I give the word to move in." Skye's voice came over the comm.

A multitude of voices came back over accepting the orders and checking in. Ky'ram quickly punched his ship into ramming speed to keep up with Skye's B-Wing before checking in himself.

"Grey One checking in." Ky'ram responded.

"You sure you don't want to be Dameron's number one?" Skye teased him.

"And miss out on watching you miss every shot in this battle? Not on your life." Ky'ram laughed.

"Just once could you compliment me?" Skye asked annoyance seeping like water through a sieve.

"Yes I could." Ky'ram responded. "It will be amazing to watch your graceful piloting abilities."

"Thank you." Skye said as her comm crackeld for a moment.

"Which have managed to fly us directly into a swarm of TIE Fighters." Ky'ram grumbled as he opened fire on the smaller ships.

"My mistakes will always outshine my positives once they?" Skye asked as she flew through the debris cloud a fighter left behind.

"Probably." Ky'ram chuckled, another two fighters falling to his cannons. "I mean you just haven't made a positive choice on par with your biggest mistake."

"And what would that be?" Skye questioned, voice slipping as she concentrated on chasing down an enemy.

"Befriending me of course!" Ky'ram laughed.

He quickly bore down on an Interceptor, the only one in the squadron making him believe it was the flight commander.

Firing a volley of his laser cannons the faster fighter exploded in a shower of metal and sparks which he immediately flew through declaring, "Squadron down! Let's get to the next one!"

"Sounds like a plan." Skye laughed at the man's excitement. "Grey Squadron report in."

"Grey One, Begrudgingly reporting in." Ky'ram responded.

"Grey Two, fighting on far side of the shipyards." A voice called out.

"Grey Three, assisting Grey Two."

"Grey Five, rendezvousing with Shelter One for a quick repair and then heading back out."

"Hold on Grey Five where is Grey Four?" Skye asked noting the missing member.

"KIA." Grey Five answered.

"Grey Six, Escorting Gold One through Three on a bombing run."

"Grey Seven, Assisting Grey Six."

"Grey Eight, assisting Grey's Six and Seven."

"Good all squadron accounted for." Skye said to the group. "Me and Grey One will move towards the underside of the ship. I will begin a bombing run while Grey One defends me."

"Understood." The squadron responded as one.

Skye and Ky'ram took off towards the underbelly of the ship in perfect sync. Skye began to unload her payload of Proton Bombs into the ships tractor beams. Behind her Ky'ram pulled off to intercept the small squadron of TIE Fighters that had appeared. The man having more experience began to fly circles around the enemy fighters.

Above them the central support beam, running the length of the Eclipse, began to glow a neon green. Suddenly a laser ripped from the front of the ship slamming into one of the MC-80s causing it to explode into a large fireball which quickly snuffed itself out. The Resistance comms came to life as every single pilot and comm operator began to speak as one.

"Everyone Shut Up!" Skye yelled over the comms, causing them to quickly quiet down. "Shelter One report on what happened. Now."

"Yes Ma'am Commander Skye." The Comm Officer responded. "The Eclipse Project appeared to be charging a part of its superstructure in some way. It had been doing this for a few minutes now, ever since we arrived to be honest. Once fully charged it fired a beam on par with a small Death Star at Shelter Three. They had no time to get to the escape pods. There were no survivors Ma'am."

"Dammit!" Skye screamed, as she switched to Ky'ram's private comm channel. "Ky'ram?"

"What is it Commander?" Ky'ram asked, his soldier voice turned back on.

"Any ideas on how to handle that?" Skye responded with a question.

"Only one and you aren't going to like it." Ky'ram told her.

"What is it?" She asked knowing the answer would be terrible.

"My ship has a payload of proton torpedoes and Seismic Charges." Ky'ram answered letting it hang in the air.

"No." Skye responded immediately. "You are not allowed to do that. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sorry Commander." Ky'ram said no emotion leaking out. "You don't outrank me and this needs to be done. Besides I think my Comm unit got injured back in that last scuffle. I will return to Shelter One for repairs and then finish my mission."

Ky'ram's fighter tore off from their current engagement towards the cruiser. Skey went to follow her when another squadron of fighters prevented her, leaving her to protest only through the comms.

"Ky'ram don't you dare do this!" She yelled. "I will never forgive you decide to be a hero."

From a distance she saw him disappear into the hangar of the cruiser. She rushed to her comm to issue an order to the ship.

"Shelter One you are to prevent Commander Skirata from leaving your hangar bay by any means necessary." She barked out.

"Impossible Ma'am." The comms officer replied. "His ship just left the hangar, was barely even in here for a full minute."

She watched from afar as his ugly TIE-Wing flew from the hangar bay straight at the engine housing of the Eclipse. Her scream was drowned out by the frantic beeping of a droid over the comms and her view was blocked by the light of the explosion caused by the simultaneous detonation of eight proton torpedoes and eight seismic charges directly into the fuel compartment of the engines. She could only stare on ahead as the explosion rippled across the eclipse and down its central superstructure, leading to a massive propulsion of durasteel outwards. Evading the shrapnel she navigated her B-wing back towards the cruisers when her comm crackled to life.

"Grey Commander order the retreat. Our job here is down." Came the familiar Concord Dawn accent.

"Ky'ram!?" Skye yelled over the comms, half in joy half in disbelief.

"Yes Ma'am. We will discuss my insubordination once we return to base. The fleet is waiting on your word." Ky'ram responded to the young pilot.

"Resistance Assualt Fleet One return to base." Skye ordered over the open channel.

In a bright flash the Resistance fleet disappeared as quickly as it had come…


	9. Chapter Eight: Memories Best Forgotten

The base was awash in a jovial spirit. Despite the loss of one of their larger ships the Resistance had again struck a blow against the First Order. They had no doubt that with their massive industrial capacity the First Order would recover but the morale victory that came was only beaten by that of the Starkiller Base destruction.

Around the base soldiers and pilots were drinking their cares away. A few could be seen pairing up and slipping off into dark shadows, hidden corners, and the bolder ones straight to the barracks. The main shop on base, ran by Tieb, was even shut down for the night to join in. Ky'ram had no doubt that missions would be suspended for a few days and that the liquor stores would be all but depleted.

Despite this though he couldn't bring himself to join in the festivities, instead sitting in the hanger where the Kom'rk class fighter was stored drinking by himself. His flask was almost empty and he was turning to focus on one of the many bottles he had grabbed just for himself. As his eyes fell upon the collection he spotted a pair of green combat boots behind him. Looking up he found them attached to his wing-woman, Skye.

"What the hell was that?" Skye asked the man as she sat down next to him.

Ky'ram stared at her for a moment before picking up a bottle of Corellian Ale. Passing it to her he then grabbed another for himself. The cork fell to the ground with a light thud and the sound of him swallowing rang out for a few seconds.

"You ever been to Nubia?" Ky'ram asked when he finished.

"Don't deflect this." Skye scowled.

"He always wanted to visit it." Ky'ram continued ignoring her. "Said that he wasn't built there and it was where his series was drawn up and developed. Wanted to see the planet that inspired his design."

"Ky'ram there is a serious problem with what you did." Skye began intending fully to call him out.

"He ended up on Dxun only because his original masters ship crashed there." Ky'ram interrupted her. "He was the survivor. His master's body was devoured by the beasts of the moon."

"I know he was a great droid but there is still the issue-" Skye tried to get him back on track.

"You know this isn't the first time I went against orders." Ky'ram confessed. "Probably won't be the last. Part of me really hopes I can lose the rank I never wanted and then I can just be on my way…. Again."

"What happened?" Skye asked genuinely concerned for the man.

"You asked about what happened on Dxun a while ago." Ky'ram cleared his throat. "My team was sent to find the ship that had penetrated our defenses and destroy it, kill any crew that survived their crash and secure all the data we could. When we got to the site Rino was the only thing there. I told my team to go about the data retrieval on ship and I would handle the droid. He didn't cower as I approached him and even helped me in connecting my datapad. He trusted me without question. When It came time I couldn't bring myself to destroy him."

Ky'ram paused for a few seconds. His face contorted as he locked his eyes on the T-Visor helmet he had thrown near the fighter as he came in.

"When my second in command walked up to do it for me I reacted without thinking." Ky'ram began his voice heavy. "I reached out and threw him against the wall harder than I ever had thrown anyone before. His neck snapped instantly. The rest of my team leveled their weapons and I reached out again bringing the cave entrance that had brought us to the ship down on top of them. With no more threats immediately facing us I began to find a way back to the base with Rino in tow. When I arrived I learned one of my men had escaped the collapse. He had beaten me back and had called for the Mandalore. We shared our story and with Rino still being there I had no way to even try and refute what had occurred."

Again he stopped. His head was hung low and the bottle was brought to his lips again. As he finished off another fourth of the bottle he breathed deeply and then turned to face Skye.

"It was decreed that I could choose banishment or execution." Ky'ram stated flatly. "We both know what I chose. I was stripped of my rank in the Mandalorian society, stripped of my clan by all technicalities, and stripped of my honor. I left, Rino in tow, on the next ship off the moon. We went to Raxus Prime for a while, which is where I built my old ship. That was ten years ago. The Mandalore that exiled me was replaced four years ago, and while I could go back and ask for forgiveness I know I don't deserve it."

"You killed your own men to protect a single unknown droid?" Skye asked, anger seeping into her voice. "You betrayed their trust for a droid! And not to say that I didn't like Rino but you also sacrificed that droid, making their deaths in vain!"

By the time she reached the end of her sentence her anger was easily felt throughout the hangar. Any bystander though would see Ky'ram just as angry and meeting it just as well, his helmet floating behind the two of them as well the bottles of ale.

"I Did Not Sacrifice Him!" the man yelled at her, his full fury in his voice. "I had told him that he was to stay behind and go back and that you were his new master. I told him that I never deserved him and that you would need him more than you would need me. He refused. He said that no matter what the Resistance would need me more than him. That droids are easy to come by. but people like me, people like you, we're rare. He didn't realize how much I truly needed him. The last true connection to my people."

As Ky'ram got closer to the end of his rebuttal his voice became choked and his anger dissipated. He began to break down, despite the present company he had. Skye was taken aback at seeing the man she considered not only a mentor but a friend and one of the strongest Resistance veterans begin to weep in front of her.

Not knowing what to do or how to handle the situation, nor how to keep it from getting worse, she left the hangar bay; breaking into a brisk jog as she reached the door. Ky'ram barely noticed that his helmet and subsequent bottles of ale crashed to the floor only after Skye exited the room…


	10. Chapter Nine: Rivers of Lava Wash Away

Ky'ram sat outside the hangar bay that the Kom'rk class fighter sat in waiting for his meeting with the General. She had said that speaking with him was a priority and that she would send a squad to retrieve him when ready. Until then he was to stay in the hangar bays or in his bunk. He had no qualms with this as he had nowhere else to really go.

In his left hand he clasped his saber hilt tightly, in his right the flask that was always found on his person. His helmet was clipped to his belt where his blaster used to be. Anyone who came near would smell the alcohol but those that stopped to speak with him would know he was as sober as everyone else on base.

Skye and him hadn't spoken in two weeks, not since the revelations in the hangar. The weariness of the last month shown on his face in the form of an untrimmed beard and his hair completely unkempt. The scent of alcohol stained him due to his month of near excessive drinking. Ky'ram would adamantly state that he knew his limit and those that spent time around him knew this to be true.

As he began to raise the flask to his mouth, yet again, he spotted a group of soldiers walking in lock step towards him. The mercenary stood up quickly as they approached, clipped his saber to his belt while hiding the flask, and straightened his hair as much as possible. Before the lead could speak to him he nodded and signaled for them to lead the way.

They arrived shortly at the main debriefing room of the base where the General awaitied. She thanked the soldiers and then asked them to leave, waiting for them all to exit before speaking.

"Ky'ram how are you feeling?" the General asked him.

He appeared to be taken aback at this. Her showing concern for his wellbeing was the last thing he expected. After such a large loss as that of an entire capital class cruiser he expected to immediately be sent back out on missions. Regaining his composure, he looked the General in the eye.

"I'm doing better now." Ky'ram responded a slight grin forcing its way out. "I mean another day or two to be back at one hundred percent but if you need me for a mission then I am good to go."

"I may but that depends on your answer to the next question." The General told the man.

"And what would that be?" he asked tilting his head slightly.

"Was your decision made in haste and without thought to what the fallout would be?" The General asked, her voice dropping into slight concern.

"It wasn't my decision." Ky'ram answered immediately.

"Skye's report said that you planned on making the attack yourself. You disobeyed her order and went through with a plan that you came up with. Where did you lose the decision?" The General questioned.

"Well she is correct on all of that." Ky'ram chuckled at the technicality. "But when it came time I had planned for Rino to stay behind. He locked me out of the ships systems and refused to take off until I exited the cockpit. As soon as I had he took off to deliver the payload despite my protests. If it had been my decision we would not be having this conversation."

"Well that puts my mind at ease." The General responded. "Depite Rino being a droid they deserve life as much as we do. I was worried I had a soldier who was willing to sacrifice others to save his own life."

"I would never think of doing that Ma'am. If we could have me and Skye would have destroyed the Eclipse without the resistance backup. It just wasn't possible." Ky'ram explained his thought process to her.

"Then I have a very important mission for you." The General told him, watching as the mercenary straightened up and dropped into his normal stance. "I take it you've noticed Skye has not been around the base lately?"

"No." Ky'ram answered quickly. "I assumed she was avoiding me after our last encounter. It didn't end on the best of terms."

"I needed someone to keep investigating the First Orders superweapons programs." The General explained. "To this end I sent her to Mustafar since it appeared that they had reactivated the factory there to speed up production. She was supposed to report in two days ago. I want you to go and find her."

"Ma'am I am willing to do this but I have no ship." Ky'ram reminded her kicking some dust on the ground.

"That is why I am giving you the Kom'rk class Starfighter." The General informed him, holding a hand up before he could interrupt her. "It's one of your people's creations and you deserve it more than anyone on base currently. Head out immediately."

"Yes Ma'am." Ky'ram said as he saluted and left the room…

He hated the quiet of hyperspace. The ship was large and provided him the ability to move around in hyperspace but it also held recent memories which he hadn't wanted to relive just yet. Avoiding all the emotional connections he could Ky'ram had stayed in the cockpit for the entirety of his trip.

A short alarm went off to alert him of his impending real space reversion. As he dropped out of hyperspace a distress beacon began to go off on his radar. Locking onto its signal he made his way to the service near one of the many landing zones littered with abandoned ships. No life signs came up on his sweeps as he landed.

He began to descend the ramp, his lightsaber in hand, and make his way into the facility. Crossing the first threshold he found dead Stormtroopers and technicians. Most were dead to blaster bolts though a few looked as though they had been thrown into bulkheads.

Noting the different signs, he moved into the next room where his instincts began to yell at him to leave. Most of the troopers looked to have died from a massive concussive wave, but there were no scorch marks on the floors, walls, or ceilings to indicate an explosion.

As he moved through the base, more and more signs appeared showing multiple fights but almost no signs of weapons usage. Following the signal of the beacon he soon arrived to one of the landing pads on the opposite side of the base.

The first thing he noticed was a barely living Shadow Guard leaning against a wall. His saber staff was nowhere near him and his armor was all but destroyed. Ky'ram immediately approached the soldier his lightsaber now active and glowing its orange hue.

"Where is the girl that you fought?" he asked holding the blade against the man's neck.

The guard began to laugh between coughs before speaking, "If you only knew."

"What happened!" Ky'ram screamed as he raised his blade back.

The guard began to raise his hand to point at something when his life left him and his arm dropped back down. Ky'ram lowered his blade in exasperation as he ran towards where the guard had last been pointing. Walking towards the edge of the platform he found an orange and white B-wing sinking into the lava. As it sunk lower and lower the beacon stopped and Ky'ram slowly pulled out a holotransciever.

Keying in a sequence a small image of the General appeared in his hands. She looked surprised to only see the man.

"General I am going to be returning to base soon than expected." Ky'ram solemnly told her.

"Understood Commander." The General nodded in acceptance. "Your report can wait till you get back here."

"Thank you Ma'am." Ky'ram saluted before cutting the connection and falling to his knees.

Around him the platform began to slowly buckle and the loose items on it flew towards him. They orbited him for a moment before flying out randomly, most landing in the lava below. Standing up and composing himself he walked off the platform, making sure it stayed suspended until he was clear, and then allowed the hunk of metal to sink into the river below…


	11. Chapter Ten: Not a Dark Jedi Yet

**Before we begin this chapter i would like to make it known that the timelines i use for Ky'ram's training work out given he was born five years before the battle of endor, thus the same year as the battle of yavin. Most of the new characters introduced in Force Awakens were born the year of the battle of endor or the years briefly following. Luke had not begun to train his new jedi until roughly twenty three to twenty four years after endor. Now we can start...**

The facility's quiet was even more off putting to Ky'ram now that he understood what had transpired. Skye had fought her way through the base. She had somehow tapped into the Force and made it across the entirety of the base. When she made it back to where her ship had been left she found a Shadow Guard waiting for her. A fight ensued between the two where she had died, the guard had been mortally wounded and her ship had been destroyed. She must have turned on the distress beacon in hope someone would come save her.

Ky'ram was almost too lost in his thoughts to notice a First Order transport dropping down on one of the platforms. Against his better judgement he decided to confront whoever was on the ship. The ramp dropped down and a small squad of troopers descended, as a hiss of steam let out from the ship. They immediately framed the ramp, no mind given to the Mandalorian standing at the edge of the landing pad.

From the ship a man exited with black robes flowing around him. A black leather sash was around his waist where a cross-guard saber hung. His hood was drawn over his head, where a black helmet, meant to be reminiscent of Darth Vader's, sat. As he reached the end of the line of Stormtroopers they turned and leveled their rifles at Ky'ram.

"I was not under the impression that I would have a welcoming party." The robed man stated.

"And I didn't think this base warranted such attention," Ky'ram spat out before pausing. "Ben."

"I don't believe we've met before." The man responded. "Few have the courage to refer to me by that name. Not since I killed Han Solo. Most just call me Kylo Ren."

"Sorry." Ky'ram said sarcastically. "Don't much use titles for people who attempt to impersonate Sith. Hell you barely function at impersonating Dark Jedi."

"What right do you have to say such things?" Kylo asked his anger barely restrained. "I have trained under the greatest Force user in the galaxy. I am the leader of the Knights of Ren. And what are you? Some soldier for my Mother?"

"You could call me that." Ky'ram chuckled as he ignited his blade. "But I'd prefer you ask her yourself."

"He is mine." Kylo told the assembled troopers as his own blade ignited with a snap hiss.

The two launched themselves at each other lightsabers quickly clashing. The crackle rang out above the sound of the bubbling lava below them. Ky'ram chose to disengage first and pulled his blade back before launching a kick to the Dark Jedi's stomach. Kylo jumped out of the way of the attack bringing his blade down to cut off the Mandalorian's foot before the orange saber caught it.

"You fight well for someone untrained." Kylo said. "You would be a great addition to the First Order."

"I've been trained." Ky'ram laughed. "Twenty-five years under the Veterans of Mandalore. One year under Master Skywalker to hone my talents slightly, you know before your heritage was revealed to the Galaxy at large. Finally nine years of training in between mercenary missions and jobs for the Resistance. What about you?"

"I may have less time under belt but I had a greater master." Kylo responded as he struck out against the mercenary. "I too trained under Luke but a more powerful Force user sought me out. He gave me power you could only dream of."

"Let me guess he tempted you with the ability to save the ones you love from dieing?" Ky'ram teased as he threw his arm out trying to unbalance Ren with the Force.

"What do you mean?" Kylo said genuinely confused as he steadied himself before launching another attack.

"Nothing, just an old legend about Palpatine and Vader." Ky'ram answered as he blocked a chop at his neck.

The Mandalorian reached into the force and tossed one of the Stormtroopers at the Knight of Ren. Kylo turned quickly and redirected the man in the Force, causing the trooper fly off the platform. He turned back to Ky'ram and attempted to choke him. Ky'ram quickly batted the attacked away and then focused all his power on the shuttle.

"Honestly for someone who is supposed to be the leader of a galactic empire you have almost no knowledge of the past." Ky'ram yelled out as the ship began to slip off the landing pad. "If Vader barely escaped why the hell would you?"

Kylo turned to the ship and reached out to pull it up before it could be destroyed. He ordered the troopers to prevent Ky'ram's escape when he saw all of them fly off the platform and into the river below as a wave of the force passed by.

By the time he had saved the ship and turned around, Ky'ram had made it back to his ship and left the planet; now just a dot in the sky…

As soon as his ship touched down at the Resistance base Ky'ram made his way to the debriefing room. There the General stood with a small group of other officers. She gestured for Ky'ram to give his report.

"I arrived on Mustafar to find the base shut down." Ky'ram began. "Entering the base there were no life signs spotted anywhere. I saw signs of multiple struggles, with blasters and with Force usage. The signs of blasters dissipated more as I reached the platform where Commander Skye had docked originally. Once there I found a dieing Shadow Guard who pointed me towards Commander Skye's ship sinking in the lava. I found no signs that she was alive, I believe the guard to have thrown her off the platform during their fight."

"Thank you commander. That will be-" The General began to say before Ky'ram held a hand to signal he wasn't finished.

"I also ran into Kylo Ren." Ky'ram explained. "I fought him shortly, though it seems he had no knowledge of me which is a good sign for us. I was not able to capture him as current orders state to do. Instead I attempted to leave him stranded and come back to base. If you deem it so I will assemble a squad to return to Mustafar and attempt to capture him."

"No Commader Skirata. You have done enough. Dismissed." The General said.

Ky'ram saluted and left the room only hearing the faintest part of the conversation from the next high ranking officer saying, "With the death of Commander Skye who is to lead Grey Squadron?"…


	12. Chapter Eleven: Bane of the Resistance

When he had been called to the briefing room, by the General, Ky'ram assumed it would be just him and her. Not her, him, Po, and the other Resistance leaders. He quickly found a space to stand next to the Ace Pilot and listened intently.

"We have decided that with the discovery of the First Order Super Weapon Program we are to ramp up our actions against them." The General began. "We have many missions planned to aid us in this endeavor. The first of which will be to interrupt their production and training of Shadow Guards. Commander Ky'ram discovered this group on his reconnaissance mission onboard the Eclipse."

Ky'ram nodded along with the other soldiers. The General brought up a set of holograms, most of which he recognized since Ky'ram had captured the images himself.

"We know that they are receiving the cortosis that makes up the weaving in their armor and staffs from the mines of Apatros. The first mission in this project is to disable their ability to mine the cortosis by any means necessary." The General continued. "We are taking volunteers first, but will assign people as needed."

Ky'ram's hand went up before anyone else's. The General went to speak, he body language saying she was going to protest, before Ky'ram stopped her.

"Ma'am with all due respect I can handle this mission on my own. No reason to risk an entire squad." Ky'ram told her.

"Commander Skirata I cannot allow you to do this given recent circumstances." The General protested.

"It's either you let me go or you place shackles on my wrists. I will go insubordinate for this." Ky'ram spelled out.

"Commander Skirata!" one of the other officers yelled.

"This isn't for any reason other than I am the only one who can handle it. Anyone else would slow me down. There was only one other Resistance member that would have been able to keep up with me." Ky'ram said as he began to leave the room. "I don't see anyone stopping me so I will be on my way to Apatros."

"We will not send a party to rescue you if this how you want to handle things." The General warned him.

"Good." Ky'ram waved off as the door opened. "If I need rescuing then no one else would survive anyways. Don't need to see more soldiers die than is needed."

He left the base hearing the room behind him explode into a slight uproar at how he had spoken to the General. Uncaringly he made his way to his ship and left planet…

Coming out of hyperspace the small barren planet loomed in front of him. It was barely the size of a standard moon and its star was still young and bright orange. He was surprised to see no star destroyers in orbit nor a space station for such an important location. Rereading the logs, the General had given him, he noted that the First Order was trying to keep knowledge of their operations locked down more.

Chuckling to himself about their attempted secrecy he navigated his way towards an unofficial landing zone on the far side of the mines. Grabbing a blaster pistol from the armory the Resistance had restocked, along with a bandolier of thermal detonators, he exited the ship. He could spot an opening to the mines, about a kilometer off, with two Stormtroopers guarding it.

As he approached he reached into the force and threw them both into the wall of the mine entrance knocking them unconscious. He ignited his blade in his right hand and drew his blaster in his left as he reached their bodies. Without missing a step, he cut both their throats and began to place a set of thermal detonators. Once he finished prepping them he continued into the mines.

His blade illuminated the dark tunnels as he went deeper. Turning a corner, he found two troopers facing away from him who began to turn as they noticed the light given off by his lightsaber. Before they could turn round to open fire on him his blade flashed twice. Their bodies and heads hit the floor rolling in separate directions.

Without batting an eyelash, he continued on his way. Around the next bend he discovered a group of miners and troopers. Raising his pistol, he opened fire on the miners while redirecting bolts from the troopers. A small pile began to form as the miners tripped over the dead, and ran into trooper fire, in an attempt to escape the Mandalorian.

The mission continued on like this as he cleared the mines of its inhabitants while making his way to its central room. Arriving he quickly cut down the meager guard of troopers and began to place thermal detonators around the room. As he placed the last one a snap hiss behind him caught his attention.

Turning round he found himself looking at two Shadow Guards. Chuckling he holstered his blaster and griped his saber with both hands. Before they could react he charged both of the guards. They readied their staffs in a defensive stance as his saber crashed down. The two of them caught it in an 'x'. Ky'ram disengaged and spun round bringing his blade with him into a stomach level side swing.

One of the guards caught the blade with his staff's pole while the other stabbed at the mercenary. Ky'ram jumped back quickly as he reached into the force grabbing a stalactite and ripping it from the ceiling. He hurled the jagged rock at the guard that had stabbed at him while striking at the other guard with his full force.

The guard barely caught his blade, the strength behind the attack pushing on him greatly, while the other man simply cut through the rock. The second of distraction that the maneuver had bought him was all Ky'ram needed. He placed himself between the two guards as he disengaged from his attack. Both of them pulled their staffs back to stab the Mandalorian. As the blades closed in, he back flipped over the guard behind him and reached into the Force to have them continue their lethal charge. The two guards impaled each other easily.

Before they fell to the floor he heard one of them mumble, "What kind of Sith are you?"

"I am not a Sith." Ky'ram spat at the man. "Nothing has come from anger. This is all because of what you have done to me. If you had been better, then perhaps you could have let me go and be with them."

Disigniting his saber Ky'ram began to make his way out of the caves. As he neared the exit a chill began to climb down his spine. He checked his HUD to see if his heaters weren't working and saw there was nothing wrong with his systems.

"It feels wrong to your mind doesn't it." A voice boomed in his skull.

Ky'ram stopped walking as he leaned against a wall, gripping his head tightly.

"This place is greatly tainted with the Dark Side of the Force. It is where the true Sith began!" The voice continued speaking. "It hurts now but as you continue to tap into it the pleasure outweighs the pain."

"I am not using the Dark Side." Ky'ram yelled back at the voice. "There is no such thing as Dark and Light in the Force itself."

"Ah a Gray Jedi, or perhaps one of those followers of Potentium!" the voice laughed at him.

"Who the hell are you!" Ky'ram screamed out at the pain of the voice.

"Most in this era call me Snoke. Supreme Leader of the First Order. You though, being read up on your galactic history, would know me by a different name. You mentioned my powers to Kylo on Mustafar." The voice began to explain.

"Plaguies." Ky'ram whispered silently.

"Yes!" the voice boomed out. "And you are on the planet that gave birth to Darth Bane!"

"Why contact me like this?" Ky'ram asked, wondering why he was even continuing the conversation instead of just running to his ship.

"Kylo says you could be a great addition to us." Snoke told him. "I am offering the invitation. Join us."

"And when I refuse?" Ky'ram spat.

"Then you will perish with the rest of your pathetic resistance." Snoke told him as the connection faded. "Just remember I offered you a chance."

When the voice fully dispersed the cold around him began to fade. Ky'ram took off in a brisk run towards his ship. As he reached the ramp he sent the signal to the detonators and destroyed the mines. Leaving the planet he keyed in the coordinates for the Resistance base and made the jump to hyperspace…


	13. Chapter Twelve: Ghosts: Real and Not

As he had once told Skye, Ky'ram enjoyed the quietness of Hyperspace. It gave time to collect thoughts and to prepare for whatever lay on the other side of the tunnel. If need be the pilot could catch up on sleep.

That was his usual feeling on it. This time though it was different. While he had left Apatros far behind, many many light years and parsecs at this point, he couldn't shake a slight feeling of cold running down his spine. He felt as though Snoke was still with him. His paranoia had made him check the ship three times over for tracking devices. Each check returned the same result, but never made him feel better about it.

He had tried to sleep but that had been impossible as every time he closed his eyes the voice reentered his head. After laying still for five hours, both eyes shut and staring at the ceiling, he got up and entered the refresher. Staring at his reflection in the mirror he could swore his eyes had changed but shook away the temporary illusion as he splashed water on his face. He told himself in the mirror multiple times that Snoke was just trying to get under his skin.

 _Plaguies._ He reminded himself. _He admitted as much. You've always thought it. Only he would be powerful enough to communicate that easily across great distances. At least with Palpatine dead._

Turning off the light he exited back into the main hold of the ship when he was thoroughly surprised by what he saw. A man stood there, slightly shimmering a shade of blue. He wore Mandalorian Beskar'gam and had a lightsaber clipped to his belt. His hair appeared a lighter shade of blue, but Ky'ram knew it to be white in life.

"Master Bardan?" Ky'ram asked.

"Ky'ram." The man answered. "It has been some time."

"How are you-" Ky'ram asked leaving the question hanging.

"I've been better." Bardan replied. "Expected to move on and become one with the Force immediately but apparently it had other ideas."

"But you haven't died." Ky'ram said disbelieving.

"It was about two months back at this point." Bardan told him before noting the worried face. "Don't worry, I died in my sleep like many Mando'a wish to."

"I should have been there." Ky'ram said immediately.

"You could have. Your past transgressions have been forgiven." Bardan stated.

"By the Mando'a and the Mandalore." Ky'ram told him. "Not by me."

"And why not?" Bardan asked.

"I killed Mando'a for a droid. A dead droid now. And then I let the only thing I've had that even came close to family since I left Mandalore die while I wallowed in my own misery at the death of that droid." Ky'ram explained exasperatedly. "I don't deserve to be forgiven."

"You beat yourself up too much." Bardan chuckled. "Always have since you were a little boy. Didn't get the throw perfect, practice it till six a.m. to ensure it goes right every time from then on. Lose a single soldier in a fight, stand in front of his grave for five hours no matter the weather in full Beskar'gam to make alms to him. Hell I bet you still say your daily remembrance for every single soldier that died under your command."

"They deserve as such. I've only just added two more to the list." Ky'ram responded quickly.

"Listen, my still younger than me apprentice, you did your best. I know you never fully embraced the way of the Jedi like I would have wanted. Too much Mando'a in you. But you turned out fine. You've always done what you thought best." Bardan said placing a ghostly hand on his shoulder. "Forgive yourself, like everyone else has. At least for the Mando'a. The new deaths may be to fresh to let go in their entirety and I understand."

"I'm not going to stop saying my daily remembrance." Ky'ram said as he clasped the hand on his shoulder.

"And I would never ask you to." Bardan responded with a laugh. "Even compared to the Jedi Padawans I trained you were always my best and favorite student. I couldn't ask for more from an apprentice, or a son."

"And I couldn't have had a better father, nor master." Ky'ram said as a single tear began to fall. "Thank you again Master Bardan Skirata."

The Force ghost smiled as it briefly shimmered and then disappeared. The alert signal went off in the cockpit pulling Ky'ram fully back to reality as he entered and strapped in for the real space reversion.

After landing on planet he went straight to the General where he reported in and immediately took the next high profile mission she had available…

Most people would say that at the age of thirty-seven there was nothing more to be grown in a person. Then again most people were not Ky'ram Skirata. He had grown greatly in the last two years, on an emotional level as he knew physically he couldn't grow any stronger. A string of near suicide missions was on his record with the Resistance and he had gained many promotions.

After the final mission leading to the collapse of the Shadow Guard program he had been promoted to Rear Admiral. While happy with the promotion, and finally accepting his place, he hated the many meetings he had to be a part of and relished when he was allowed to go on missions by himself instead of with the entirety of the Second Fleet behind.

He currently found himself sitting in one of the many dreaded meetings. Ackbar was explaining his incursion into First Order space. After the string of sabotage missions, the Resistance had gained members, ships, and territory. While nowhere near as powerful as the Grand Army of the Republic had once been they were now able to operate on a true war footing instead of as guerrilla fighters.

He looked over at Po Dameron he couldn't help but chuckle at the pilot who made the universal gesture of boredom, placing two fingers against his head and blowing his brains out. Ky'ram waved a small friendly gesture his way and then turned his attention back to the Admiral. Or he had planned to when the bases alarm began to blare incessantly. Standing up he signaled that he would grab a squad of soldiers and investigate it.

Leaving the room and telling the first squad he saw to follow him he was informed that there was an unauthorized landing at the edge of the base, right outside of their anti-air fire. He asked if it was an invasion but was mystified to hear that it was a single TIE Fighter.

"What do you mean? TIE Fighters don't just come to the Resistance base all by their lonesome." Ky'ram told the man.

"You asked I'm telling." The soldier chuckled.

"Fine." Ky'ram grunted. "Just stay behind me when we get there."

As the landspeeder came into the clearing Ky'ram felt a chill go down his spine, with a small hint of warmth following shortly after. He heard the mounted blaster cannon behind him charge up as the hatch opened on the small fighter. In a flash, Ky'ram only seeing it due to the Force, a human jumped out of the fighter and landed on the ground in front of them hand extended outward.

They wore black flowing robes, which seemed to pool around their feet like a puddle of thinned oil. A black tunic was below this, tied off by a leather sash. Their hood was drawn up around their face, which Ky'ram could tell was feminine in nature. His soldiers quickly caught up with what happened and began to ready their weapons to fire before he called them off, something not feeling right about this to him.

He looked to the person's out stretched hand and saw a Lightsaber hilt resting there, as though they wanted him to take it. He unclipped his own saber from his belt and ignited it.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ky'ram asked his voice shaking, not really wanting to know the answer.

"You know I was once told to run if that blade ever got ignited in front of me." The person said their voice extremely familiar to Ky'ram, but none of the other soldiers assembled.

"No. It can't be." He said his voice loosing its power.

"What is it Admiral Skirata?" one of the men asked.

"Admiral now?" the person laughed. "Impressive for the man who didn't even want to be Commander."

"You should be dead." Ky'ram said shakily. "Call for the General. We need her input now."

One of the soldiers nodded as he pulled out his comlink while Ky'ram only stared ahead at the newcomer to the base…


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Reunions: Bitter Sweet

"Ky'ram she is supposed to be dead." The General told the man.

They were standing in one of the many underground passages of the old Massassi temple that made up their base. This specific passage had been repurposed to become a set of prison cells. Sitting in the one they were staring at through a two-way mirror was Gab-Riel Skye, Resistance Pilot and apparent Force user. Ky'ram could not believe what he was actually looking at, having been rendered speechless for the entirety of the trip from her TIE fighter to her new cell.

"General I don't know what to tell you." Ky'ram finally responded. "Everything I saw on Mustafar said she was dead. Her ship was destroyed and the Shadow Guard all but said she was dead."

"Well apparently he lied to you, Admiral." The General retaliated. "I don't sense any ill will from her."

"Me neither." Ky'ram confirmed. "She gave herself up willingly. Didn't mind a pat down nor a seizure of weapons. Was completely fine with being interrogated, though she almost refused to answer the questions of the interrogator we sent."

"She kept asking for you or me." The General told him.

"Yes but I don't think I would do well speaking with her just yet and we can't risk you incase it's all a ruse." Ky'ram said.

"You have one week." The General immediately responded as she turned on a heel and walked away. "I don't want to do it but if I have to I will send in an interrogation droid."

"Understood Ma'am." Ky'ram saluted, turning back to stare through the window at the soldier that appeared to be staring back…

He found himself yet again standing outside the door to the cell. Every day for the last six days he had stood there trying to force himself to open the door. Each time he had Walked away after thirty minutes of standing there. As he was about to step away the sound of low humming alerted him to a floating interrogation droid coming down the hall. Immediately fearing for what came next he flung the door open and entered the room.

Skye looked almost surprised to see him. Her cloak hung off the bed frame loosely and she was sitting on the bed cross legged. She appeared to have been meditating before he had abruptly entered and interrupted.

"Took you long enough." The woman accused him.

"Eh you know missions and-" Ky'ram began before being stopped.

"You placed me in a normal cell. Not an electrostasis chamber, not a cryostasis chamber, and definitely not a Force dampening field so I know you were here all week." Skye interrupted him. "So what gives?"

"Fear." Ky'ram answered quickly as he looked around the room trying to act casual, and failing at it as bad as a Wookie would.

"Doesn't suit you." Skye told him. "You seriously avoided me out of fear? Pretty strange for the all-powerful Admiral Skirata."

"You don't have the right to say that." Ky'ram retorted. "You didn't see how your 'death' effected this base. Either way I only need to know a few things and then I will be out of your hair."

"Fine ask away. I said I would only answer to you." Skye responded waving her hand around as a gesture of uncaringness.

"First off what happened?" Ky'ram asked. "And I'm wanting a full debriefing here."

"After arriving on Mustafar I made my way through their base." Skye began to recount. "I ran out of power cells early on, you know how much I hate to check my equipment over and how much I relied on you to do that for me. Not knowing what to do I felt a power within me that I began to seize to aid myself and began to finish clearing the base with the Force at my side. Things were going well until I arrived back at my ship and defeated the Shadow Guard. It was then that I realized returning wasn't an option. I had used the Force but not like how you did, or how Rey did or even Luke. I had used it like Kylo would. I was scared and figured my only option was to disappear. I destroyed my ship and stole a TIE fighter, though since I more or less scrapped it together from spare parts in their hangar bay its more correct to say I built it."

Skye paused as though she was contemplating not saying the next part of her story. The seconds ticked on and she could see Ky'ram only growing more frustrated by the minute.

"I went to..." She mumbled.

"What was that?" Ky'ram asked.

"I said I went to Korri…." She said mumbling the last word, though Ky'ram thought she cut it off completely.

"Again please loud enough for the recorder to hear it." Ky'ram ordered.

"I Went To Korriban Dammit! The Sith Tomb World!" Skye finally yelled frustration over taking her.

"I knew you were stupid but seriously." Ky'ram said almost to himself.

"Well you wouldn't have trained me after what I did, and I wasn't even sure the resistance would take me back." Skye began to explain. "It seemed smart at the time and it got me to where I can control my powers. It took me a two years to finally decide to come back and face whatever awaited me. I still want to fight for the resistance."

"You're a Sith aren't you?" Ky'ram asked.

"Well I mean not anointed but ive studied at the feet of a few Sith holocrons and even some Force spirits. If that counts then yes." Skye gave up easily.

"Why would you want to help us instead of conquer us?" Ky'ram questioned.

"You once said light and dark don't exist to you. That all it did was describe morals and religious ideologies. Religiously I follow the Sith teachings. I follow the code. Peace is a lie there is only passion, through passion I gain strength, through strength I gain power, through power I gain victory, the Force shall set me free. It has set me free, can't you see that? I still believe in what the Resistance is fighting for. Freedom. I just have new tools to fight with. Search me in the Force, you know I want to help."

Ky'ram stared at her for a few minutes. A small ripple of power could be felt in the room before he shook his head and turned for the door.

"That's it then?" Skye asked as the door creaked open. "You just leave me here?"

"I'm going to recommend the General release you on a probationary period of one month. After that she should give you free reign around the base, though not with your old rank. If she agrees to it or not is her and your business not mine." Ky'ram responded without turning round.

The door shut with a loud clang and yet again Skye was left alone with just her thoughts…


	15. Chapter Fourteen: What's in a Name?

After Ky'ram's visit and subsequent report to the General she had released Skye as he had suggested, though an armed contingent of SpecForce units followed her ever where she went. They stayed out of her line of sight and in the shadows, but she could feel them through the Force. As she turned a corner towards the hangar bay she felt Ky'ram to be in one of the elite soldiers climbed the building they were nearest to in order to keep line of sight.

Opening the door, she saw the Mandalorian in a rare form of dress, his armor placed neatly at the foot of the ramp into his ship. He held his lightsaber out in front of him and six training drones floated around him. His eyes were closed as he made very tight motions and barely adjusted himself to block the multiple blasts from the drones. The layer of sweat covering his grey tunic and dark grey pants showed how long he had been practicing.

As she entered the room a small ripple went through the Force and the Mandalorian's grip changed slightly, noticeable only to those who practiced different saber forms. His fingers tightened around the hilt and he began broad swinging and chopping motions, allowing him to cut through all six droids in three cuts that left only a single opening exploitable only by a trained enemy. The orange blade sheathed itself inside the hilt and he placed the weapon on his belt. He then began to walk over to his armor and strap it back onto himself.

"Yet again with the training?" Skye asked, only to hear the man grunt.

"What do you need? It better be a summons from the General." Ky'ram told the girl as he finished strapping on his shin guards.

"Nope. No summons." Skye responded. "Just wanted to see what my oldest and closest friend was up to."

"I wouldn't know." Ky'ram responded. "Why don't you go ask Marka Ragnos?"

"Very funny." Skye mumbled. "He wasn't one of the ones who I trained under. I got Naga Sadow, the bastard, and Darth Sion, his skin could have used some lotion."

"Either way I have to go finish preparing for my mission. Don't touch my ship." Ky'ram said as he motioned to one of the SpecForce members nearby to assist him with strapping on his chest and back pieces.

With that complete he exited the hangar, his message to Skye clear…

She had wandered the base endlessly not knowing what to do with herself. Word had spread fast that she had returned, albeit as a Sith. Most of the other resistance soldiers refused to speak with, refused to eat with her, they had even refused to sleep in the same barracks as her. A true outcast she had looked for friendship in anything, even the mouse droids that zoomed across the base.

It was to this end that she found herself moving between the hangar Ky'ram routinely used and the door to the General's office. Now in front of the later she was surprised when it opened for the first time since she began visiting it.

"Skye what can I do for you?" The General asked as she waved the girl in.

"Well I was just wondering," Skye began hesitantly, her head looking at her black booted feet. "What happened to Ky'ram while I was gone? He's being gruffer and off-putting than usual."

"Skye did you really expect to come back and have everything just go back to the way they were?" The General questioned.

"Well not exactly." Skye responded quietly. "But I thought he would be happy that I was alive."

"Don't take his personality as a negative." The General began. "He is happy that you are alive, as I believe we all are. But he had to grieve much more than the rest of us. Remember in a little under a month he lost two people who were very important in his life."

"Me and Rino." Skye mumbled.

"Yes." The General continued. "In the first year after your disappearance he took every suicide mission he could. We had psychologist evaluate him multiple times. He never made intentional mistakes or openly tried to kill himself but those close to him could tell he was hoping one of those missions would have been the end of him."

"How bad were the missions?" Skye asked, knowing she didn't want the answer.

"The man single handedly destroyed the Shadow Guard program and all of its centers." The General explained while throwing a large file at the Sith. "Every single production facility, training academy, recruitment center, and deployment depot. He went in on his own every time and came back out. At one facility he found a small collection of Holocrons. We allowed him to do as he saw fit with them as reward for such a large deed. He kept half on his ship and gave the other half to me to give to Luke upon his return."

"I can't believe this." Skye said almost to herself as she thumbed through the file.

"What's not to believe? The Resistance owes that man a great deal for everything he has done, from the location and destruction of the Eclipse to the dissolution of its Shadow Guard program. Hell he lead the SpecForce unit on its raid of the Emperor's Lost Archives on Corruscant, though I believe he had ulterior motives for that." The General told the girl.

"General I'm so sorry but I have to go." Skye responded as she turned towards the door.

"You are not allowed off this base. My troops know this and will apprehend you immediately." The General informed her.

"I'm not leaving but if I still know his signature well enough Ky'ram is back in system and I have to speak with him." Skye explained as she continued out the door…

Ky'ram stood at the top of the ramp of his ship waiting for it to fully descend. In one hand he held his deployment bag and in the other a small blue and gold cube. When the ramp finished, signaling with a hiss, he exited and keyed in a command to raise the ramp again. Suddenly he saw a flash of black in his vision and dropped his bag, lightsaber jumping from his belt to his hand.

Before he could react he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his body and some wet spots forming on his flight suit. Looking down he saw that the arms, and by default wet spots, belonged to the black garbed woman who was hugging him. He could hear her repeating something over and over again as he disignited his lightsaber and returned it to his hip.

"I'm sorry I can't understand you when you're talking to my chest." Ky'ram told the girl.

"Dammit, you don't get to apologize right now!" She yelled at him as he raised her head. "I said I'm sorry! For everything I put you through! For letting you think I was dead so soon after Rino sacrificed himself. I'm sorry that I didn't even leave a message to explain that I was still alive. I'm sorry that you tried to get yourself killed."

"Don't." Ky'ram began when he was interrupted.

"Don't what?! Apologize for what I did!?" Skye yelled again.

"It's not becoming of a Sith Lord." Ky'ram chuckled slightly. "What would Darth Bane say if he could see you right now."

"Wait you're not mad at me?" Skye asked.

"No." Ky'ram responded flatly. "It's not in my nature to hold a grudge. Though I do expect people to own up to their mistake. Sorry for being an ass all these last few weeks but I wasn't going to let you think I approved of what you did. Either way I'm on my way to go and report to the General on my success and then suggest that she let me take over responsibility for your probation period, though you will have to accompany me on missions if she does."

"I am perfectly fine with that. Gets me off this base for a while." Skye told the man slightly laughing.

Ky'ram shook his head as he reached down for his bag and motioned with his head for the Sith to follow him.

"You know I never got named as one of the Darths. Do you think that since you are in a way my first teacher you could name me?" Skye asked him.

"You want me to name you?" Ky'ram laughed. "Wouldn't that be blasphemy?"

"Eh there are no Darths currently and I feel like naming myself would be worse than letting a Grey name me." Skye explained shrugging.

"Fine fine. But we will have to discuss that no Darths comment. Until anyone decides to correct me I will name you Darth Ja'ak." Ky'ram christened her.

"Ja'ak?" Skye questioned rolling the name on her tongue. "The ancient Sith Phrase for I am Free? Since when do you speak Sith?"

"Since a raid on Palpitine's Archives." Ky'ram explained. "And besides that was what you told me last time we talked. The you were free. I think it's fitting. Unless you want to be Darth Can't Banter in Combat."

"No no. I will stick with Darth Ja'ak." Skye told the man. "Thanks Ky'ram."

He smiled down and continued leading her to the General's office…


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Red is such a Cliche

"Why are we sitting in a dingy bar on Ryloth?" Skye asked the mandalorian soldier next to her.

Ky'ram stared at him over the rim of his glass. He cocked an eyebrow as he began to down his ale.

"Uh uh uh." Ky'ram responded as he placed the glass down, wagging his finger along the way. "We already finished the Resistance business in the area and are ready to move on to out next objective. This is Mando'a business."

"I thought you were banished." Skye said incredulously.

"Things changed in the last two years." Ky'ram told her as he waved down a man who had just entered, his armor matching Ky'ram's.

The man slowly approached their booth as he removed his helmet and sat across from the two. Waving down a serving droid he ordered a Correllian Ale and then turned back to the two fighters.

"Who is she?" He asked a deep Concord Dawn accent ringing through.

"Partner in the Resistance." Ky'ram said plainly.

"Di'kulta adiik." The other Mando said forcing Skye to look for body cues.

Ky'ram's face scrunched up and he immediately responded with, "Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod?"

"N'eparavu takisit." The man quickly recounted.

"Gar ori'jagyc." Ky'ram said shaking his head. "Tion'ad?"

"Colonel Krieger." The man told him as he slid a docket over the table. "Demagolka."

"Staabi." Ky'ram responded leafing through the document. "Vor entye."

"Gar shuk meh kyrayc." The other mando told him as he finished his drink and stood up.

Ky'ram nodded to him and watched the man walk away as he drank the last drops of his own ale.

"What was that about?" Skye asked.

"Mandalore needs someone taken care of. I'm going to handle it." Ky'ram explained to her quickly as he paid his bill and began to lead them out.

"Some of that conversation seemed heated." Skye commented offhandedly.

"Eh he called you a useless child." Ky'ram casually mentioned.

"He What! I'm going to kill him." Skye screamed as she called her lightsaber to her hand.

"No you're not." Ky'ram responded as he called her lightsaber hilt to his own hand. "I already handled that aspect myself anyways. This is wonderful craftsmanship. I mean nothing like and Acklay claw but we can't all be that good."

"I didn't have much to work with." Skye explained herself as she held her hand out waiting for the blade to be given. "That's why its carved from a Tuk'ata rib bone and some scrap durasteel I found around the temple."

"What color?" Ky'ram asked before retracting his statement saying, "Actually we have time. Don't tell me. Show me when we get to our next destination."

"Where are you going to be taking me?" Skye asked the Mandalorian.

"Nope." He began as Skye joined him, "Mando'a Secret."….

The two warriors stood in the middle of the vast Dune Sea. One held an orange blade the other red. Both were covered in sweat, owing to both the intense heat and the amount of the time they had been at it.

"I still can't believe you carry a red blade." Ky'ram teased the Sith.

"I was in a Sith Temple." Skye defended herself. "There weren't all that many options."

"Still it's just, eh," Ky'ram began as he charged the girl yet again. "So cliché."

He reached her relatively quickly and their blades met in a shower of sparks. Ky'ram having strength on his side easily overpowered and knocked her blade away from the saber lock. He then brought it around in a sideways chop towards her waist. Skye recovered and blocked the chop easily, noting that he hadn't put his full strength behind the blow.

Reaching into the force she attempted to knock him over, or even put a rock in front of his footing. The Mandalorian smiled behind his mask as he too reached out and adjusted everything she attempted to change back to normal, before striking at her neck.

"You can't rely on the Force." He reprimanded. "Almost everyone you will be fighting in lightsaber combat has more experience in the Force than you do."

Skye went to say something when she felt a ripple in the Force and had to adjust her footing that had been altered before pulling her blade down to block an attack at her feet.

"And before you bring up Rey's fight with Kylo, he underestimated her." Ky'ram berated. "Something he won't do twice. He has learned that lesson, if not from fighting her then from fighting me."

"When did you fight him?" Skye asked she smiled inwardly at the opening Ky'ram had blatantly left.

"Two years back on Mustafar." Ky'ram responded while knocking away the stab Skye made at his gut. "Also remember if an opponent leaves such an obvious opening, it's a trap."

As he finished his sentence his blade came back around leaving Skye to feel a slight heat against her neck as orange slightly invaded her vision.

"Fine I yield. You win." Skye said and then mumbled, "Again."

"Eh as I've said before I've got over a decade's worth of experience on you. Not to mention all my training time from being a Mandalorian Super Commando."

"Yeah yeah. Whatever you say old man." Skye teased him. "Should we start making our way back to the ship and continue on our mission?"

"Yeah, Useless child." Ky'ram teased back. "Next stop Kuat. Need to pay the Adjudicator a visit. Just got lucky that my contract is against its beloved commander, Colonel Krieger. "

Ky'ram smiled at her knowlingly and then with only a ripple into the Force took off towards the ship, a trail of dust and a slightly bewildered Sith Lord left behind. Cursing under her breath Skye reached into the Force as well and took off after him…


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Doesn't Have to Flash

Ky'ram had never understood why both the Empire and the First Order seemed to have such a dislike for coloration. Their walls were always grey or white. Their uniforms were always grey white or black. Their ships were always grey or black. Uniqueness and a sense of non-drab color scheming seemed to be something they lacked.

Making his way through the Abjudicator, one of the Revitalizer class star destroyers, he couldn't help but sigh at the lack of color. His orange blade seemed to bounce off the walls and paint the entire corridor in a slightly orange glow, like that of a sunset on Naboo. Next to him the upstart Sith stalked, her blade not yet ignited.

"Something wrong Ky'ram?" Skye asked the man at his sigh.

"No just tired of seeing all these walls. Every single First Order base is exactly the same and their star destroyers are no different." Ky'ram answered as he scanned round a corner making sure a patrol wasn't coming.

"It's efficient." Skye shrugged. "They prefer things to be done rather than to look flashy while doing it."

"I'm not saying they should be flashy but just." Ky'ram paused to look down another corridor. "I don't know these colors would make me want to blow my brains out after a while."

"You such a lovely person to talk with you know that?" Skye asked, chuckling the entire time.

"Hey you could have refused to come with me and be stuck on base under the guard of the SpecForce troops." Ky'ram teased.

"No thank you." Skye laughed. "Much better to be out doing something."

"Agreed." Ky'ram said as he held a hand out signaling her to stop. "This should be his quarters. Seeing as the ship is currently given shore leave he should either be in here or will be returning here shortly."

Skye nodded and ignited her blade as she sidestepped to the side of the door Ky'ram wasn't covering. The door hissed open and the two found themselves staring into a lavishly decorated room. The finest tapestries hung from the wall, most depicting great moments in galactic history. In a locked glass cabinet at the back of the room sat the most expensive liquor credits could buy. The bed was clothed in a blanket of silkweave, dark as the night sky but with a light sheen to them.

"Someone really knows how to spend a colonel's salarly." Ky'ram joked, following it with a long whistle.

"Yeah I mean your quarters are nowhere near this nicely decorated." Skye teased the man.

"Eh, One I live on a ship that has no reason to need decoration." Ky'ram retorted. "And two I'm a Mandalorian. Don't have a need for such flashy possessions unless they kill faster."

"So what do we do now? Wait him out or-" Skye began when a voice behind her, a very crisp clipped core world accent, interrupted.

"Or you go to the brig immediately."

Ky'ram and Skye turned as one to see the man they had been hunting. He wore the black officers uniform of the First Order, his chest ordained with innumerous medals. His officer's cap was held to his left side, and in his right hand a blaster pistol which was aimed at the Mandalorian's head. Black hair was tightly combed and his green eyes held a look of disdain, barely visible past the knife scar running through his right cheek and burn scar across his nose.

"Colonel Krieger I take it?" Ky'ram began, his grip on the saber never loosening. "It's such a pleasure to meet a Demagolka such as yourself."

"Ah so your precious Mandalore has finally decided to handle me?" Krieger questioned, his grip tightening around the pistol. "I'm honored that he hired two Force users to apprehend me."

"Don't feel so honored." Ky'ram spat. "She just came along for the ride. He only sent me."

Krieger immediately let loose a burst of blaster fire, which Ky'ram barely moved to deflect. The first two bolts slamming into the wall behind the Colonel's head and the third striking his gloved hand causing him to drop the weapon. The blaster clattered to the floor and then flew up into Skye's waiting hand. Ky'ram stepped up and pulled a set of Electrocuffs from his belt. Quickly fastening them around the Colonel's hands he pulled the man to his feet and motioned for Skye to follow him.

"We'll take the power distribution lines back to the ship." Ky'ram told Skye. "Should avoid most of the patrols on the way. You stay behind him and I will take point."

Skye nodded in acknowledgement and fell in behind the two. They had only made it to the first set of power cores when Ky'ram stopped the small band. Ahead of them a man stood garbed in black, almost reminiscent of Skye's robes. In his hand a Saber with a cross guard of plasma.

"Skye keep the Colonel away from him." Ky'ram said, his tone making it clear that this was not a request but an order.

"Why not just knock him unconscious?" Skye asked.

"If you can do it." Ky'ram nodded. "I might need some help here."

Skye nodded as well and then with the least grace possible smashed the Colonel over the head with her blade before turning back to the Knight of Ren in front of her…


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Knight to R1

"So am I to assume that Luke has returned and has begun training a new class of Jedi?" The Knight of Ren asked, his voice heavily distorted by the helmet.

"No, I mean last I knew he was still off somewhere training Rey." Ky'ram responded. "Why are you looking to enroll? There is an entry fee of 500 credits, non-refundable even if you don't turn out to be Force Sensitive, and then a recurring monthly fee of 100 credits. What month would you want to start?"

"I see you still refuse to take a battle seriously." Kylo spat out.

"Wait you think this is him joking around?" Skye asked as she began to circle around the Knight, hoping to flank him.

"I've told you before Skye, these stuck up First Order types don't know how to have any semblance of fun." Ky'ram chuckled. "Must be standard operating procedure to shove stick up arse the moment they get out of bed. OH! Do you think that's how Snoke controls them?"

An audible growl rang out through the power core. Suddenly the Knight charge Ky'ram making a wide swinging chop at his head. An orange blade swung up and caught the attack, as a second red blade attempted to remove Kylo's head. The knight ducked under it and kicked out at Skye, who merely jumped away a few feet. Ky'ram immediately punched out at the knight, following the dodged attack up with right swing of his saber.

"You know you may need to ask Snoke to increase your saber training." Ky'ram began teasing. "I mean you have the body type and force ability to use Ataru, yet you're so dead set on following Vader that you're using Djem So."

"What would you know of the Lightsaber Forms? You are a barbarian. Your people just fight, regardless of form or style." Kylo attempted to taunt, as his blade sung in a wide arc attempting to hit both of his combatants.

"Normally you'd be correct but Ky'ram always seems to be the one Mando'a to surprise anyone." Skye laughed, her and Ky'ram both jumping out of the way of the strike.

"Eh he wouldn't understand." Ky'ram said lazily. "He is the descendant of a Great Jedi; I am the son of a man to survive the Purge. Obviously my heritage alone means I having better training. I mean my dad was able to escape Vader for almost thirty years!"

"No one escaped the Purge!" Kylo yelled, over extending his swing.

"I can name three off the top of my head." Ky'ram taunted, kicking out and knocking Kylo's saber out of his hand. "Obi-wan, Yoda, Bardan Skirata."

Kylo stood dumbfounded, coming to quickly and reaching out in the Force for his weapon when he watched it sore into the hands of Skye. She held the weapon for a moment, a ripple peeled through the Force, and then she tossed it back to him. The Knight immediately went to ignite it, only to find it refusing to turn on.

"What did you do!" The Knight yelled at Skye.

"Energy Drain." Skye nonchalantly responded. "It's not that well known of but a Sith who can learn it can become very powerful."

"Who are you to call yourself a Sith!" Kylo screamed, almost overloading his voice modulator.

"Someone who has trained at the feet of multiple Sith Lords." Ky'ram responded as he stepped up and placed his blade to Kylo's neck. "She learned more in two years than Snoke was willing to teach you in ten."

"Ky'ram we have orders-" Skye began.

"I know." Ky'ram said as he pulled his final pair of elctrocuffs out of his belt pouches. "Ben 'Kylo Ren' Solo, you are coming with us to face judgement and trial for your crimes against the galaxy."

He secured the cuffs around the Knight's wrists and roughly shoved him to get moving ahead of Skye. Turning around Ky'ram hoisted the still unconscious Colonel onto his shoulder and the rag tag band made their way back to the hangar bay…


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Prisoner Proposal

The debriefing room normally held an air of uptightness and respect. This time though it seemed to be chaotic. Everyone was speaking at once, making it nearly impossible for Ky'ram to answer a single question let alone the General's. As he stood in his grey tunic rubbing his temples his frustration grew deeper and deeper. Those who knew him well could see on his face that he was struggling to keep from yelling at everyone gathered.

Skye began to get worried as she felt a ripple in the Force focused on the Mandalorian. Before he could do anything he might regret she stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Looking at her he nodded and took a step back.

"Everyone, you need to shut up!" Skye yelled at the group. "Admiral Skirata can't answer anything if you all keep acting like a Nerf breeding ground!"

The room immediately fell to silence as the Sith's voice carried across the room. As she took her step back she turned to the General.

"The floor is yours Ma'am." Skye told her.

"Thank you Gab-Riel." The General nodded towards the Sith. "Now Admiral please explain how you managed to capture Kylo Ren when you were on a simple rendezvous with one of spies?"

"Well Ma'am as you know I have also been handling tasks for Mandalore as they need when I'm near one of my contacts." Ky'ram began. "As such I had been asked to apprehend Colonel Krieger for the Mandalore, due to his theft of Mandalorian children to turn in First Order troopers, when we encountered Kylo Ren on board the Star Destroyer Abjudicator. After ensuring Colonel Krieger could not escape Skye and myself engaged Kylo Ren in a short combat. Once we had managed to disarm him I placed him in electro cuffs, effectively keeping him from being able to channel the Force. As such I brought him back here for trial."

"What happened to Colonel Krieger?" Admiral Ackbar questioned when Ky'ram finished.

"I left him with my Mando'a contact on Ryloth." Ky'ram chuckled. "I assume Mandalorian justice will be metered out to him appropriately."

"The only thing left to decide is what to do next." The General said.

"Ma'am with all due respect we have the highest ranking member of the First Order, besides Snoke himself, in our custody." Ky'ram began. "I believe we should use this opportunity."

"What do you have in mind Admiral?" The General asked him.

"Allow me to contact Snoke and tell him we are willing to release Kylo to him." Ky'ram began when the room exploded into an uproar. "Calm down! I have a plan here."

He waited for the room to quiet before beginning again. A few minutes later, and a loud clearing of Skye's throat, the room awaited his continuation.

"We tell him that we will only release Kylo to him in person. He can bring a squad of Storm Troopers if he so desires but no more." Ky'ram explained. "This will give us a chance to not only eliminate Snoke, once and for all finishing what Palpatine started, but also if he refuses, or even better shows up to eliminate Kylo, then we prove to the wayward Force user that Snoke has always been using him. We may very well gain a new Force user to the Resistance."

The room sat quiet for a few moments. No one dared to speak before the General made her decision. Finally, she looked up to the Mandalorian.

"Can you guarantee that this will work?" The General asked, concern coloring her voice.

"Not entirely." Ky'ram said, quickly continuing before anyone could speak out against it. "It will be me and Skye escorting him to the meeting spot. I believe Raxus Prime would be ideal since no one controls it. I will be the one to confront Snoke primarily, with Skye providing backup as needed."

"Are you certain you don't want to wait for Luke to return?" The General questioned.

"I believe that would just scare Snoke off." Ky'ram answered. "His actions a few years ago show he fears the Last Jedi Knight more than anything else. He knows who I am, though not what I am fully capable of, and has no knowledge of Skye and her abilities."

"Make contact with him then." The General ordered. "Before you leave I want to have a meeting with both you and Skye. SpecForce will escort Kylo from his cell to your ship."

"Yes Ma'am." Ky'ram and Skye saluted as one.

The room slowly began to empty till it was just the two Force users alone. Ky'ram turned to the Sith, his eyes slightly filled with worry.

"Are you sure you're willing to go with me on this?" Ky'ram asked.

"I don't think anyone else would volunteer to do so." Skye answered. "Besides I still owe you for that cantina on Nar Shadaa."

Ky'ram laughed heartily and lightly smacked the girl on the back before exiting the room, headed for his ship to make preparations…


	20. Chapter Nineteen: The Ultimate Betrayal

The long hyperspace journey had been almost unbearable for the two Force users. Ky'ram had refused to leave the common area until the claxon alerting him to real space reversion started. Skye had refused to leave the brig to ensure Kylo didn't try anything. The Mandalorian had passed the time by disassembling and reassembling his lightsaber many times over the journey, an exercise in patience and meditation he had told Skye once.

The Sith on the other hand had seethed in her anger at Snoke, a pretender to the title of Sith. The man who had corrupted a once aspirant young man. Had made the boy believe that he was Vader reincarnate. Sith were manipulative but there was line. Get others to do their bidding, not twits their minds so badly that they don't even hold the same truths. Vader had been a true Sith. Everything he had done to go down his dark path was lined with the greatest of intentions. To protect his wife, and soon to be growing family. To ensure the Republic did not fall into the hands of the Seperatists, led by the confirmed Sith Dooku.

Palpatine had been a true Sith. He had joined to bring peace to the galaxy. To bring order, something he and his master Plaugeus had believed it sorely needed. He had wanted to the galaxy to come out of the Clone Wars for the better, and due to his belief that people could not be trusted to rule themselves he figured only he could make it happen. Even Bane had been a true Sith, a Sith'ari to be honest. He had kept the Sith from wiping each other out during the old wars. He saw the flaws in the system of training that followed the ideas of the Jedi. He chose to rewrite the Sith identity and ushered in the Rule of Two.

Snoke though was no true Sith and didn't deserve any of the title that came with it. As far as Skye concerned herself he barely deserved to be called a Force user. He had never once showed a true display of power. He barely controlled the First Order, instead giving more and more power to its higher ups. Skye was ready, more ready than she had ever been, to destroy the pretender and his so called empire.

The ship reverted to realspace above a brown murky planet the two Force users prepared their captive. Skye stood by the ramp waiting for Ky'ram to finish bringing the ship to the predetermined docking zone. As it finally settled down the Mandalorian joined her behind Kylo and keyed in the sequence for the ramp to descend. As the hiss let out and steam flooded the entry way the three descended to the planet.

In front of them stood the leader of the first order, clad in black robes that hung looser than Skye's. His face was the pale tan of a sick Muun, and had a set of scars running over its eyes nose and mouth. His gaze pierced the very soul of the three in front of him and Ky'ram felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Months now of working with Skye had taught him to be used to the dark side but the aura of it that Snoke gave off was more intense than anything he had felt before.

"I told you my master would not abandon me!" Kylo began to gloat when a ripple flew through the Force and the man found himself lying against a heap of trash.

"Shut your mouth you insolent welp!" Snoke screamed at the man. "Do you truly think I have any remorse or consideration for a fully trained Knight of Ren who can't stand up to two upstart Force users?"

"But master I have brought them here!" Kylo began to defend himself. "Together we can destroy them, and thus leave only one last stepping block in out path against the Resistance."

"You will never be capable of destroying the Resistance." Snoke spat. "If only I had seen that years ago, before they became the very large bush of thorns they are now."

Ky'ram and Skye both could barely contain their anger at the man who so casually threw away his best apprentice. Their lightsabers snapped to attention as one and they began to encircle the Muun.

"Ah yes." Snoke began to laugh. "The Grey Jedi and his apprentice. Mandalorian you have been quite the problem for me."

"Well that's a good thing then." Ky'ram taunted. "Nice to know I can ruffle the feathers of the supposed most powerful man in the galaxy."

"More than just feather ruffling." Snoke continued to laugh. "I still have yet to decide whether turning you or killing you would be more beneficial to my cause. If I turn you I gain a powerful new apprentice, but on that I could never be certain would not try to betray me. If I killed you I would be disposing of such nuisance, but then I would lose the chance at such a promising ally."

"You and I both know I would never join you." Ky'ram spat at him. "I said as much back on Apatros."

"You spoke with him back then?" Skye asked incredulously.

"Yes." Ky'ram said, trying to keep her from asking more questions.

"More than spoke!" Snoke began to chuckle. "You haven't told your apprentice then?"

He looked between the two Force users surrounding him and began to laugh manically. Ky'ram, worried about what the Muun would do next, leapt at him attempting to remove his head. Snoke reached onto the Force and caught the man throwing him to the side, just enough to offset the attack and effectively negate it.

"You see child I offered him to join me in my stabilization of the galaxy." Snoke began to tell Skye. "I even revealed who I truly am to him."

"And who would that be?" Skye asked Snoke, while throwing Ky'ram a dirty look.

"I am Darth Plaguies the Wise." Snoke said simply.

Skye looked between Ky'ram and the revealed Sith Lord. She did not know how to respond.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Skye asked, hurt echoing in her voice.

"After learning what you became I felt it would be too dangerous." Ky'ram answered. "How could I be sure that you wouldn't run off to learn at the feet of a true flesh and blood Sith?"

"You hear that child?" Snoke began. "He is scared of you. Scared of what you can become if trained by a true master. I sense the anger and hate within you. I can sense the dark side which has already taken its hold on you. Cast aside your old master and join me. I will make you more powerful than any who have come before you."

"He is not my master." Skye said through barred teeth.

"Yes Child!" Snoke exclaimed.

"He was never my master!" Skye yelled out.

He blade leapt up as she herself quickly cleared the distance between her and Ky'ram, the Mandalorian barely reacting fast enough to catch the attack at his head. Staring into what had once been amber eyes he now saw only the distintice tri-color pattern of a fully realized dark side user; Red, Yellow, and Orange…


	21. The Finale: This Isn't Like You

Ky'ram could barely believe what he was dealing with. Not two seconds ago this had been his closest friend. Now her blade was threatening to remove his head. He blocked attack after attack, refusing to take the offense despite knowing he was a better swordsman than she was. Each time she struck he deflected the blade back down towards the ground, forcing her to take longer to recover and strike again.

"Skye stop this!" Ky'ram yelled at the girl. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing!" Skye yelled as she stabbed out at the man. "You lied to me! You never trusted me after I came back! I bet you only asked Leia to put you in charge of watching over me just to make sure I could be put down if the need ever arose!"

"Skye you know that's the anger talking!" Ky'ram yelled while knocking the blade of plasma away. "You know if that was true I would have already killed you here and now!"

Skye readjusted her grip and charged headlong in once more, a growl emanating from her throat. Her volley of blows came in stronger than the attack before, but still not near the strength she knew Ky'ram to hold.

"You think you'd be able to?" Skye taunted him. "I'm more powerful than you think, Ky'ram. You have yet to see my true ability!"

"And the same holds true about me!" Ky'ram yelled back. "You only know of my skill with the blade."

Skye growled again, obviously growing tired of the Mandalorians attempts to talk her out of fighting. Dropping one hand from her grip she took aim at him and let loose a stream of Force lightning. The Mandalorian rose his blade quickly and caught it, barely shifting his stance at all.

"Ah!" Snoke rang out from behind the two. "A practitioner of Soresu! And a well-trained one at that! Who taught you Mandalorian?"

"My father, Jedi Master Bardan Skirata!" Ky'ram screamed over the arc of electricity.

"So a Jedi defected to the Mandalorians!" Snoke laughed with giddiness. "How interesting."

Ky'ram returned his focus to the fight, reaching into the force and tossing an old disable Gonk droid at the girl. Skye easily cut it in two as she renewed her assault, Ky'ram barely stopping the attack. The Mandalorian continued to block the lightning as he held a hand up and Skye began to feel her windpipe closing.

"I will knock you unconscious if need be Skye!" Ky'ram yelled asher lightning ceased while she attempted to break his grip.

Skye began trying to speak over the strangulation as her anger grew. She finally had enough and an explosion of force energy, centered on her, flew out knocking Ky'ram's gripaway. Reigniting her blade she strode towards the Mandalorian.

"My name is Darth Ja'ak!" She yelled, striking out with her blade towards his head, rage fueling her attack.

Ky'ram brought his blade up in attempt to block once more, though he didn't expect the power behind the blow. Her strike connected and knocked his blade out of his hands. As she reeled back to strike again he attempted to Force jump out of the way while calling his lightsaber to his hand. Her blade easily struck through the hilt of his rendering it useless. As she continued the attack his legs were removed at the knees. Landing on face the Mandalorian struggled to even move.

"Good." Snoke began chuckling. "Now finish it and your ascension to being my apprentice will be complete."

"No." Skye told him as she deactivated her lightsaber and turned back to the Muun. "This is a greater defeat than he will ever know. That his enemy pitied him enough and did not view him as worthy enough to even deserve death. Left to rot on this trash heap of planet for the rest of his days, with a worthless traitor to both the Resistance and the First Order. I can't think of a befitting punishment for an enemy of the Sith."

Snoke laughed again as he began to make his way towards his ship signaling for Skye to follow as well. Nodding her head she turned her back on the Mandalorian one final time before reaching out and crushing the hyperdrive on his ship. The shuttle the two Sith entered, departed quickly form the planet leaving Kylo and Ky'ram alone in the wastes of Raxus Prime.

The ex-knight of Ren turned to the Mandalorian, who was obviously in great pain from his wounds. He turned the man over so his face was no longer in the trash and then reached for the man's legs. Ky'ram reach out and grabbed his arm giving him a questioning look.

"I was going to heal them." Kylo explained. "Luke did teach me a few things before I turned my back on him. There is no telling how long we will be stuck here, nor when we will find a set of suitable replacement legs for you. To escape we will have to aid each other."

"Thank you Kylo." Ky'ram apologized, never expecting to hear himself say the words.

"It's Ben." The boy told him. "Kylo died when Snoke decided to throw me away."

"Well Ben it's nice to finally meet you." Ky'ram said with a laugh. "Your mother has told me a lot about you."

"It will be nice to see her again." Ben quietly remarked as he continued hearing the Mandalorian. "I wonder what she is doing right now."…

The Resistance base was in an uproar. A message had been received no more than five minutes past that both Ben and Ky'ram had been killed during the confrontation with Snoke. The message stated that Skye had been captured by the ruler of the First Order and did not know which base she was being transferred to. That was all that had been received before the holorecording was cut abruptly.

Fire teams and fleets were being called to assemble. The General was barking orders faster than any had ever seen before. She figured with such a blow being dealt to them the First Order would not wait to attack them at any of their bases and she was not going to accept the possibility of such heavy casualties lying down. Finally she turned towards the newest member of the SpecForce.

He wore a standard issue infiltrator's uniform and had a long necked blaster marksman's rifle slung over his shoulder. He had brown colored fur and emerald eyes. His species was considered rare in the galaxy, due to an attempted genocide against their people over four thousand years earlier. His hands ended in claws and he had razor sharp teeth.

"Kite." The General addressed him. "I need you to go to Raxus Prime. Recover and bring back Admiral Skirata's ship and body, along with Kylo's, if possible. If not that's possible, destroy everything that links us to being there. Am I understood?"

"Yes Ma'am." The soldier responded. "You can trust a Cathar to handle the problem as quickly and quietly as possible."

The General nodded and the Cathar sniper left the room, towards the hangar bay where his personal ship was docked…


	22. Continuation

If you read this story and would like to read the continuation look for Star Wars: The Mando and the Sniper. It picks up right where this one left off. Finally thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed this one. Hope i can continue to entertain.


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